spiritual
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.relating to your spirit, soul, or deep personal beliefs rather than your body or physical objects.
adj.relating to the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things.
Simple“Yoga helps her find a sense of spiritual peace after a long day at work.”
In context“The author explores the spiritual journey of the protagonist as he seeks meaning beyond the consumerist culture of his upbringing.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.relating to religion or sacred things.
adj.relating to religious or sacred matters; often used to distinguish ecclesiastical authority from temporal or civil power.
Simple“The community looked to their spiritual leader for guidance during the crisis.”
In context“The bishop exercised spiritual authority over the diocese, while the council managed the administrative and financial affairs.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
n.a type of religious folk song, especially those originally created by African Americans.
n.a religious folk song of a kind associated with the black Christian communities of the southern US.
Simple“The choir sang a beautiful spiritual that moved the entire audience.”
In context“The concert featured a series of traditional African-American spirituals, highlighting their historical role in expressing both faith and the desire for freedom.”
UsageOften used in the plural form 'spirituals' when referring to the musical genre.
Synonymshymnfolk song
“The Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) spiritual movement, whose members made the request in advance of a visit on Saturday, apologised.”
“It is the spiritual home of Ferrari and the devoted tifosi who adore the Italian team.”
From Middle English spiritual, spirituel, from Old French spirituel, from Late Latin spīrituālis, from Latin spīritus. By surface analysis, spirit + -ual.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.