1
: an animating or vital principle held to give life to physical organisms
2
: a supernatural being or essence: such as
a
capitalized
: holy spirit
b
c
: an often malevolent being that is bodiless but can become visible
specifically
: ghost sense 2
d
: a malevolent being that enters and possesses a human being
3
: temper or disposition of mind or outlook especially when vigorous or animated
in high spirits
4
: the immaterial intelligent or sentient part of a person
5
a
: the activating or essential principle influencing a person
acted in a spirit of helpfulness
b
: an inclination, impulse, or tendency of a specified kind : mood
6
a
: a special attitude or frame of mind
the money-making spirit was for a time driven back—
J. A. Froude
J. A. Froude
b
: the feeling, quality, or disposition characterizing something
undertaken in a spirit of fun
7
: a lively or brisk quality in a person or a person's actions
8
: a person having a character or disposition of a specified nature
9
: a mental disposition characterized by firmness or assertiveness
denied the charge with spirit
10
a
: distillate sense 1: such as
(1)
: the liquid containing ethanol and water that is distilled from an alcoholic liquid or mash
—often used in plural
(2)
: any of various volatile liquids obtained by distillation or cracking (as of petroleum, shale, or wood)
—often used in plural
b
: a usually volatile organic solvent (such as an alcohol, ester, or hydrocarbon)
11
a
: prevailing tone or tendency
spirit of the age
b
: general intent or real meaning
spirit of the law
12
: an alcoholic solution of a volatile substance
spirit of camphor
13
: enthusiastic loyalty
school spirit
14
spirited; spiriting; spirits
1
: to infuse with spirit
2
: to carry off usually secretly or mysteriously
was hustled into a … motorcar and spirited off to the country—W. L. Shirer
W. L. ShirerSynonyms
Examples of spirit in a Sentence
Noun
the spirits of my ancestors
Some religions believe that the same spirit is reincarnated many times in different bodies.
Yoga is very healthy for both body and spirit.
We will all miss her generous spirit.
My father was a proud spirit.
Verb
The singer was spirited away in a limousine after the show.
Some of the funds had been spirited away to other accounts.
Recent Examples on the WebHoward Cohen, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2024
Today, the 12-room luxury boutique hotel preserves that same romantic spirit and warm atmosphere.
—Monica Mendal, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2024
Christine King’s 1983 novel about a teenager whose car is possessed by an evil spirit is just one more example of how the author can make an everyday object horrifying.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
In doing so, the NP Digital team has crafted a blueprint for success that extends beyond marketing metrics to the essence of organizational well-being and team spirit.
—Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024
Heartbeat draws from the canon but reimagines it with an avant-garde spirit and an eye toward the issues of our time: gun violence, Black Lives Matter, the #MeToo movement.
—Joshua Barone, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024
Jamie Foxx isn’t exactly new to the celebrity spirits world, having purchased Brown Sugar Bourbon back in 2021.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 4 Apr. 2024
The awards also recognized excellence in local spirits: Tail Up Goat in Adams Morgan received a finalist nomination for outstanding wine and other beverages program, and Clavel Mezcaleria in Baltimore earned a nomination for outstanding bar.
—Zoe Glasser, Washington Post, 3 Apr. 2024
The pay bump may be regarded as the first step in a long battle to improve the spirits of staff who have had their morale battered by poor Avanti service.
—Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 25 Mar. 2024
Reuters, NBC News, 26 Mar. 2024
Aglow with radiance, Nichelle Lewis makes a sweetly sad yet still spirited Dorothy.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2024
The gang spirited her across the border into the Golden Triangle Economic Zone, where she was put to work in her third scam center.
—TIME, 21 Mar. 2024
The region has been aflame since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, murdering 1,200 Israelis, kidnapping hundreds more, and spiriting away the innocents into an underground hell.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 19 Jan. 2024
And that's because the Miami police had spirited him away.
—Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2024
There were Barbie cameos, dancers galore, Slash, and spirited sing-alongs.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2024
Both student sections were spirited as well and the teams gave the crowd a tremendous show hitting huge shots at key times.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Feb. 2024
There are tens of thousands of these vanished: soldiers who disappeared into the maw of battle, children spirited away for adoption in Russia, civilian villagers like Olena’s husband, Oleh, her childhood sweetheart, who engaged in quixotic acts of defiance against a powerful occupying army.
—Sabra Ayres, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2024
Noun
Adjacent to the new location is a Publix Liquors offering wine and spirits.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2024
Today, the 12-room luxury boutique hotel preserves that same romantic spirit and warm atmosphere.
—Monica Mendal, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2024
Christine King’s 1983 novel about a teenager whose car is possessed by an evil spirit is just one more example of how the author can make an everyday object horrifying.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
In doing so, the NP Digital team has crafted a blueprint for success that extends beyond marketing metrics to the essence of organizational well-being and team spirit.
—Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024
Heartbeat draws from the canon but reimagines it with an avant-garde spirit and an eye toward the issues of our time: gun violence, Black Lives Matter, the #MeToo movement.
—Joshua Barone, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024
Jamie Foxx isn’t exactly new to the celebrity spirits world, having purchased Brown Sugar Bourbon back in 2021.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 4 Apr. 2024
The awards also recognized excellence in local spirits: Tail Up Goat in Adams Morgan received a finalist nomination for outstanding wine and other beverages program, and Clavel Mezcaleria in Baltimore earned a nomination for outstanding bar.
—Zoe Glasser, Washington Post, 3 Apr. 2024
The pay bump may be regarded as the first step in a long battle to improve the spirits of staff who have had their morale battered by poor Avanti service.
—Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 25 Mar. 2024
Verb
Alexander Bortnikov, the director of the Federal Security Service (FSB), said that the gunmen had wanted to reach Ukraine where some people had been ready to spirit the attackers across the border.
—Reuters, NBC News, 26 Mar. 2024
Aglow with radiance, Nichelle Lewis makes a sweetly sad yet still spirited Dorothy.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2024
The gang spirited her across the border into the Golden Triangle Economic Zone, where she was put to work in her third scam center.
—TIME, 21 Mar. 2024
The region has been aflame since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, murdering 1,200 Israelis, kidnapping hundreds more, and spiriting away the innocents into an underground hell.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 19 Jan. 2024
And that's because the Miami police had spirited him away.
—Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2024
There were Barbie cameos, dancers galore, Slash, and spirited sing-alongs.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2024
Both student sections were spirited as well and the teams gave the crowd a tremendous show hitting huge shots at key times.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Feb. 2024
There are tens of thousands of these vanished: soldiers who disappeared into the maw of battle, children spirited away for adoption in Russia, civilian villagers like Olena’s husband, Oleh, her childhood sweetheart, who engaged in quixotic acts of defiance against a powerful occupying army.
—Sabra Ayres, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spirit.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near spirit
Cite this Entry
“Spirit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spirit. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
spirit
1 of 2 noun
spir·it
ˈspir-ət 
1
: a force within a human being thought to give the body life, energy, and power : soul
2
a
capitalized
: holy spirit
b
: a being (as a ghost) whose existence cannot be explained by the known laws of nature
3
: mood entry 1
in good spirits
4
: a lively or brisk quality
answered with spirit
5
: real meaning or intention
the spirit of the law
6
: an attitude governing one's actions
said in a spirit of fun
7
a
: a distilled alcoholic liquor
—usually used in plural
b
: a solution in alcohol
—often used in plural
spirits of camphor
spirit
2 of 2 verb
: to carry off secretly or mysteriously
Etymology
Noun
Middle English spirit "a life-giving force," derived from Latin spiritus, literally, "breath"
Medical Definition
spirit
noun
spir·it
ˈspir-ət
1
a
: distillate
especially
: the liquid containing ethyl alcohol and water that is distilled from an alcoholic liquid or mash
—often used in plural
b
: a usually volatile organic solvent (as an alcohol, ester, or hydrocarbon)
2
: an alcoholic solution of a volatile substance
spirit of camphor
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