corpus

American  

[kawr-puhs] / ˈkɔr pəs /

noun

plural

corpora,

plural

corpuses

1. a large or complete collection of writings.

   the entire corpus of Old English poetry.

2. the body of a person or animal, especially when dead.

3. Anatomy. a body, mass, or part having a special character or function.

4. Linguistics. a body of utterances, as words or sentences, assumed to be representative of and used for lexical, grammatical, or other linguistic analysis.

5. a principal or capital sum, as opposed to interest or income.

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corpus British  

/ ˈkɔːpəs /

noun

1. a collection or body of writings, esp by a single author or on a specific topic

   the corpus of Dickens' works

2. the main body, section, or substance of something

3. anatomy

   1. any distinct mass or body

   2. the main part of an organ or structure

4. the inner layer or layers of cells of the meristem at a shoot tip, which produces the vascular tissue and pith Compare tunica

5. linguistics a body of data, esp the finite collection of grammatical sentences of a language that a linguistic theory seeks to describe by means of an algorithm

6. a capital or principal sum, as contrasted with a derived income

7. obsolete a human or animal body, esp a dead one

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Usage

What does corpus mean? Corpus most commonly refers to a large or comprehensive collection of creative works, such as all of the writings of a particular author. An artist’s corpus is their body of work, and in fact the word corpus comes from the Latin word meaning “body.” (This Latin word appears in the well-known legal phrase habeas corpus, meaning “(you may) have the body.”)More generally, corpus is used in English to refer to the main body, section, or substance of something. The word is used in a more specific way in linguistics to refer to an entire set of a particular linguistic element within a language, such as words or sentences. It’s also used in several more specific ways in the context of anatomy in the names of body parts. The correct plural of corpus can be either corpora or corpuses. (Other Latin-derived words can be pluralized in the same way as corpora.)Example: Instead of devoting my dissertation to examining a specific theme throughout her corpus, I decided to focus on a single work.

Etymology

Origin of corpus

First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English, from Latin

Explanation

A corpus is a collection of writings. If you tend to never throw anything away, you might have your entire school corpus, from your first scribbled words to your high school English essays. The written works of an author, or from one specific time period, can be called a corpus if they're gathered together into a collection or talked about as a group. You could discuss the corpus of Dr. Seuss, for example. Corpus sounds a little like corpse, and that's no coincidence; corpus means "body" in Latin, and though it's come to mean specifically "body of work," the two words are closely related.

Example Sentences

After their arrests, their wives filed habeas corpus petitions at the Supreme Court, challenging the legality of their detentions.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

And there’s this one, a pioneering one in California criminal law: a crime even without a corpse, the body of evidence — the corpus delicti.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 21, 2026

His lawyers still managed to persuade Provinzino to issue a writ of habeas corpus ordering his immediate release in Minnesota and the return of all confiscated property.

From Slate • Feb. 19, 2026

Beginning with the superb 1843 competition entry, we see the practical architect making the vast corpus of graphic material required to restore a Gothic cathedral.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 18, 2026

If she was incarcerated, her lawyer could file a writ of habeas corpus, which gives prisoners the right to challenge their imprisonment.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling