What does "spiritual" mean?
A Christian religious song, especially one in an African-American style, or a similar non-religious song.
Spiritual
/ˈspɪɹɪt͡ʃuəl/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A Christian religious song, especially one in an African-American style, or a similar non-religious song.
- Grammar: spiritual is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: religious, affective, airy, anagogic.
- Useful contrasts: corporeal, profane, terrestrial.
- Usage evidence: I suppose that what we mean by beauty is that object, spiritual or material, more often material, which satisfies our aesthetic sense.
How to use "spiritual"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "spiritual" 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 "spiritual" 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 "spiritual" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "spiritual" 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 "spiritual" 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 "religious" 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 "spiritual", 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 Christian religious song, especially one in an African-American style, or a similar non-religious song.
- 2 A member of a branch of the Franciscan order that advocated simple dress and renounced the owning of property. historical
"But in the years that followed, the cause of the Spirituals became championed by far more substantial figures within the church."
- 3 a kind of religious song originated by Blacks in the southern United States wordnet
- 4 Any spiritual function, office, or affair.
"He assigns supremacy to the pope in spirituals, and to the emperor in temporals."
Adjective
- 1 Of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul.
"Respect towards ancestors is an essential part of Thai spiritual practice."
- 2 Of or pertaining to God or a place of worship; sacred, pure; (Christianity, specifically) inspired by the Holy Spirit.
"Brethren, if a man bee ouertaken in a fault: yee which are spirituall, restore such a one in the spirit of meeknesse, considering thy selfe least thou also be tempted."
- 3 Of or pertaining to spirits; supernatural.
"Despite personal schisms and differences in spiritual experience, there is a very coherent theology of Snape shared between the wives. To examine this manifestation of religious fandom, I will first discuss the canon scepticism and anti-Rowling sentiment that helps to contextualise the wider belief in Snape as a character who extends beyond book and film."
- 4 Consisting of spirit; not material; incorporeal.
"a spiritual substance or being"
- 5 Of or relating to the intellectual and higher endowments of the mind; mental; intellectual.
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Not lay or temporal; relating to sacred things; ecclesiastical.
"the spiritual functions of the clergy; lords spiritual and temporal; a spiritual corporation"
Adjective
- 1 lacking material body or form or substance wordnet
- 2 resembling or characteristic of a phantom wordnet
- 3 concerned with sacred matters or religion or the church wordnet
- 4 concerned with or affecting the spirit or soul wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"I suppose that what we mean by beauty is that object, spiritual or material, more often material, which satisfies our aesthetic sense."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "spiritual"?
Common synonyms include: religious, affective, airy, anagogic, angelic, animist.
How do you use "spiritual" in a sentence?
I suppose that what we mean by beauty is that object, spiritual or material, more often material, which satisfies our aesthetic sense.
How do you pronounce "spiritual"?
Pronounced /ˈspɪɹɪt͡ʃuəl/.
Etymology
From Middle English spiritual, spirituel, from Old French spirituel, from Late Latin spīrituālis, from Latin spīritus. By surface analysis, spirit + -ual.