spirituality

noun

spir·​i·​tu·​al·​i·​ty ˌspir-i-chə-ˈwa-lə-tē How to pronounce spirituality (audio)
plural spiritualities
1
: something that in ecclesiastical law belongs to the church or to a cleric as such
2
: clergy
3
: sensitivity or attachment to religious values
4
: the quality or state of being spiritual

Examples of spirituality in a Sentence

We studied Eastern traditions of spirituality. the archbishop was opposed to the marriage, and the king needed the support of the spirituality if his rule was to be considered legitimate
Recent Examples on the Web This was my second rodeo with spirituality; growing up, a rigid strain of Protestantism had been foisted on me like a chore. Christopher Fiorello, The New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2024 The holy month of fasting and reconnection with spirituality for Muslims concludes next week with Eid al-Fitr on Wednesday. Detroit Free Press, 5 Apr. 2024 Black Is King was an impressive entry point to African spiritualities for those used to Eurocentric imagery. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2024 These responses might seem confusing or contradictory, but atheism and spirituality aren’t necessarily at odds. Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 10 Mar. 2024 In other words, religious beliefs and spirituality can be a source of resilience when people need to persevere and resist in the face of injustice. Alexia Salvatierra, The Conversation, 26 Feb. 2024 What sets Bhutanese festivals apart is the sense of community and spirituality that permeates every aspect of the celebrations. Judy Koutsky, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 Then there’s the religion thing: a spirituality, freely accessed in his conversations and monologues, that mixes the gospel of Alcoholics Anonymous (he’s struggled with addiction himself) with his background in southern Christianity. James Parker, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2024 The trek — which began in August in Buenos Aires and stopped in Costa Rica, Guatemala and Bolivia, among other countries — is in support of her ultra-personal album, ALMA, that thrives on emotions, spirituality, reason and an awakening to self-love. Jessica Roiz, Billboard, 18 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spirituality.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spirituality was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near spirituality

Cite this Entry

“Spirituality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spirituality. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

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