# corporeal

/kˈɔːpɔːɹˌiəl/ (UK) · CEFR C2 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/corporeal
Updated: 2026-10-16

## Definition

connected with the body and able to be touched, not just spirit or thought. You use it for physical things like hunger or pain.

For teachers: 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.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.