What does "corporal" mean?
A non-commissioned officer army rank with NATO code OR-4. The rank below a sergeant but above a lance corporal and private.
Corporal
/ˈkoɹ.pɚ.əl/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A non-commissioned officer army rank with NATO code OR-4. The rank below a sergeant but above a lance corporal and private.
- Grammar: corporal is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: acting corporal, acting sergeant, altar cloth, anatomical model.
- Useful contrasts: commissioned officer, immaterial, mental.
- Usage evidence: The trend of public opinion is against corporal punishment.
How to use "corporal"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "corporal" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "corporal" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "corporal" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "corporal" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "corporal" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "acting corporal" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "corporal", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A non-commissioned officer army rank with NATO code OR-4. The rank below a sergeant but above a lance corporal and private.
- 2 The white linen cloth on which the elements of the Eucharist are placed; a communion cloth.
"He had […] many corporals, chalice-veils, and sudaria"
- 3 a noncommissioned officer in the Army or Air Force or Marines wordnet
- 4 A non-commissioned officer rank in the police force, below a sergeant but above a private or patrolman.
- 5 A worker in charge of the wagonway, reporting to the deputy. historical
Show 1 more definition
- 6 A dragonfly of the genus Ladona.
Adjective
- 1 Having a physical, tangible body; material, corporeal. archaic, not-comparable
"Into the air; and what seem'd corporal melted as breath into the wind."
- 2 Of or pertaining to the body, especially the human body; bodily. not-comparable
"corporal punishment"
- 3 Pertaining to the body (the thorax and abdomen), as distinguished from the head, limbs and wings, etc. not-comparable
"The smaller 9 9 have less elongated fins, drabber corporal colors, and more transparent fins."
Adjective
- 1 possessing or existing in bodily form wordnet
- 2 affecting or characteristic of the body as opposed to the mind or spirit wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The trend of public opinion is against corporal punishment."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "corporal"?
Common synonyms include: acting corporal, acting sergeant, altar cloth, anatomical model, atlas, baldacchino.
How do you use "corporal" in a sentence?
The trend of public opinion is against corporal punishment.
How do you pronounce "corporal"?
Pronounced /ˈkoɹ.pɚ.əl/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English corporal, corporall, corporel, corporell, from Old French corporal (French corporel), from Latin corporālis, from Latin corpus (“body”); compare corporeal.
Etymology 2
From French caporal, probably influenced by corporal (above), from the Italian caporale, from capo (“head, leader”) from Latin caput (“head”).
Etymology 3
From Middle English corporall, corporalle, from the Latin corporāle, the neuter of corporālis representing the doctrine of transubstantiation in which the Eucharist becomes the body of Christ.