spiritual

1 of 2

adjective

spir·​i·​tu·​al ˈspir-i-chə-wəl How to pronounce spiritual (audio)
-i-chəl,
-ich-wəl
1
: of, relating to, consisting of, or affecting the spirit : incorporeal
spiritual needs
2
a
: of or relating to sacred matters
spiritual songs
b
: ecclesiastical rather than lay or temporal
spiritual authority
lords spiritual
3
: concerned with religious values
4
: related or joined in spirit
our spiritual home
his spiritual heir
5
a
: of or relating to supernatural beings or phenomena
b
: of, relating to, or involving spiritualism : spiritualistic
spiritually adverb
spiritualness noun

spiritual

2 of 2

noun

1
spirituals plural : things of a spiritual, ecclesiastical, or religious nature
2
: a religious song usually of a deeply emotional character that was developed especially among Black people in the southern U.S.
3
capitalized : any of a party of 13th and 14th century Franciscans advocating strict observance of a rule of poverty for their order

Examples of spiritual in a Sentence

Adjective Doctors must consider the emotional and spiritual needs of their patients. I regularly consult our pastor about spiritual matters. The Romantic composers saw Beethoven as a spiritual ancestor. France will always be the spiritual home of wine lovers. Noun The congregation sang hymns and spirituals. sang a spiritual at the funeral
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Loneliness gets to the heart of the spiritual dissatisfaction and self-denial seen post-Covid and in both the pro-Hamas and pro–George Floyd rioting. Armond White, National Review, 10 May 2024 O'Donnell explained that chaplains have traveled with circuses throughout their history, performing baptisms, funerals and non-denominational religious services, as well as providing spiritual guidance and blessing the animals and the big top before each season. Amy Schwabe, Journal Sentinel, 10 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for spiritual 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spiritual.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French espirital, spiritual, from Late Latin spiritualis, from Latin, of breathing, of wind, from spiritus

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1582, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spiritual was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near spiritual

Cite this Entry

“Spiritual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spiritual. Accessed 16 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

spiritual

1 of 2 adjective
spir·​i·​tu·​al ˈspir-ich-(ə-)wəl How to pronounce spiritual (audio)
-ich-əl
1
: of, relating to, or consisting of spirit : not bodily or material
2
: of or relating to sacred or religious matters
3
: related or joined in spirit
our spiritual home
spirituality
ˌspir-ich-ə-ˈwal-ət-ē
noun
spiritually
ˈspir-ich-(ə-)wəl-ē
-ich-əl-ē
adverb
spiritualness noun

spiritual

2 of 2 noun
: a religious song usually of a very emotional character that was developed especially among Black people in the southern U.S.

More from Merriam-Webster on spiritual

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