Word
corporeal
Phoneticscor·po·re·al
UK/kˈɔːpɔːɹˌiəl/
Definition
adj. connected with the body and able to be touched, not just spirit or thought. You use it for physical things like hunger or pain.
adj. relating to the physical body or material existence, as opposed to mind or spirit. Often contrasted with incorporeal in philosophy, theology, and law.
Examples
“We all have corporeal needs like food and sleep.”
“The hospital chaplain cares for spiritual needs as well as corporeal comforts like warmth and rest.”
“The novel moves between dreamlike memories and sharp corporeal detail, grounding its ghosts in hunger, cold, and tired hands.”
Examples
simple
“We all have corporeal needs like food and sleep.”
contextual
“The hospital chaplain cares for spiritual needs as well as corporeal comforts like warmth and rest.”
complex
“The novel moves between dreamlike memories and sharp corporeal detail, grounding its ghosts in hunger, cold, and tired hands.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “corporeal” in context.
Verb
01. become corporeal
“In the story, the spirit becomes corporeal only during the full moon.”
verb + adj
02. corporeal decays
“The corporeal decays, but the influence of her ideas endures.”
noun + verb
03. corporeal suffers
“When the corporeal suffers, the mind struggles to remain detached.”
noun + verb
Adjective
04. corporeal being
“Philosophers debate whether humans are purely corporeal beings or something more.”
adj + noun
05. corporeal existence
“The novel explores the tension between spiritual ideals and corporeal existence.”
adj + noun
06. corporeal form
“According to the myth, the god took corporeal form to walk among humans.”
adj + noun
07. corporeal reality
“Chronic pain forced her to confront the harshness of corporeal reality daily.”
adj + noun
08. corporeal world
“Mystics often describe the corporeal world as an illusion obscuring deeper truth.”
adj + noun
Noun
09. corporeal in nature
“Hunger and fatigue remind us that humans remain corporeal in nature.”
adj + prep + noun
10. corporeal in origin
“He argued that consciousness is not entirely corporeal in origin.”
adj + prep + noun
11. assume a corporeal form
“In folklore, spirits assume a corporeal form to communicate with the living.”
12. beyond the merely corporeal
“Great art gestures toward something beyond the merely corporeal.”
Etymology
From Middle English corporealle, equivalent to Latin corporeus + -al, from corpus (“body”); compare corporal.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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