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spiritual definition

spir·it·ual (spir′i c̸ho̵̅o̅ əl)

adjective

  1. of the spirit or the soul as distinguished from the body or material matters
  2. of, from, or concerned with the intellect; intellectual
  3. of or consisting of spirit; not corporeal
  4. characterized by the ascendancy of the spirit; showing much refinement of thought and feeling
  5. of religion or the church; sacred, devotional, or ecclesiastical; not lay or temporal
  6. spiritualistic or supernatural

Etymology: ME spirituel < OFr < LL(Ec) spiritualis < L, of breathing or air

noun

  1. ☆ any of a type of American folk hymn; specif., any of such songs originating among S U.S. blacks in the 18th and 19th cent. combining African and European musical elements
  2. religious or church matters

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

spiritual Synonyms

spiritual

modif.

refined, pure, holy; see religious 1.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

spiritual Usage Examples

Adjective complement with noun phrase

  • understand: How can a spiritually dead person understand anything spiritual?

Used with adjective complement

  • provide: Whether used by crusader, pilgrim or cleric, these maps provided spiritual rather than geographical guidance.

Modifies a noun

  • dimension: Is there a spiritual dimension to human life which we need to acknowledge?

Modifying Another Word

  • purely: The glory of God, which was once thought to fill the universe, is now regarded as a purely spiritual thing.

Preposition: in

  • nature: They believe heaven and hell to be spiritual in nature.
spiritual usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

spiritual quotes

I have known no man of genius who had not to pay, in some affliction or defect either physical or spiritual, for what the gods had given him.

-Beerbohm, Sir (Henry) Max(imilian)

Show me a man who lives alone and has a perpetually clean kitchen, and 8 times out of 9 I'll show you a man with detestable spiritual qualities.

-Bukowski, Charles

Canada isnot reallya placewhereyouare encouragedto have large spiritual adventures.

-Davies, Robertson

spiritual quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"spiritual." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/spiritual>

APA Style

spiritual. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/spiritual

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