corporeal

adjective

cor·​po·​re·​al kȯr-ˈpȯr-ē-əl How to pronounce corporeal (audio)
1
: having, consisting of, or relating to a physical material body: such as
a
: not spiritual
… some few traces of a diviner nature which look out through his corporeal baseness …Robert Browning
b
: not immaterial or intangible : substantial
corporeal property
2
archaic : corporal
corporeally adverb
corporealness noun

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In various religions, including Christianity, corporeal existence is often called the opposite of spiritual existence, and corporeal existence, unlike spiritual existence, is often said to be contaminated with evil. The word is also often used by philosophers, especially when considering the nature of reality. For lawyers, corporeal describes physical property such as houses or cars, as opposed to something valuable but nonphysical like a good reputation.

Choose the Right Synonym for corporeal

material, physical, corporeal, phenomenal, sensible, objective mean of or belonging to actuality.

material implies formation out of tangible matter; used in contrast with spiritual or ideal it may connote the mundane, crass, or grasping.

material values

physical applies to what is perceived directly by the senses and may contrast with mental, spiritual, or imaginary.

the physical benefits of exercise

corporeal implies having the tangible qualities of a body such as shape, size, or resistance to force.

artists have portrayed angels as corporeal beings

phenomenal applies to what is known or perceived through the senses rather than by intuition or rational deduction.

scientists concerned with the phenomenal world

sensible stresses the capability of readily or forcibly impressing the senses.

the earth's rotation is not sensible to us

objective may stress material or independent existence apart from a subject perceiving it.

no objective evidence of damage

Examples of corporeal in a Sentence

the corporeal nature of matter corporeal cravings such as hunger and thirst
Recent Examples on the Web But for Middleton, who despite the media criticism had been unofficially crowned a perfect corporeal specimen, the scrutiny came from millions of eyes. Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2024 To him railroad cars are not railroad cars but a gray, generalized thing called Transportation; people are not men and women, corporeal, gross, very human beings, but Humanity — Humanity very much in the abstract. Dan McLaughlin, National Review, 6 Feb. 2024 Also unfamiliar will be the bulky padding and helmets absent in rugby, whose corporeal ferocity has also given rise to recent concerns — and class-action lawsuits — about brain injuries. Alexander Smith, NBC News, 19 Jan. 2024 As Cavendish conceived of it, writing invites souls to live in corporeal figures. Merve Emre, The New Yorker, 29 Jan. 2024 In his 1960 tract, The Four Loves, C. S. Lewis argued that the bond of friendship is the least corporeal of the relationships. Ethan Brooks, The Atlantic, 14 Dec. 2023 Fiennes and Tennant are both outstanding talents, but very different in corporeal stature and bearing. Houman Barekat, New York Times, 19 Dec. 2023 The Wet Area is a windowless warren of rooms that offer all kinds of ways to manipulate your corporeal experience. Devin Friedman, Travel + Leisure, 11 Nov. 2023 Because if MacGowan was seemingly unconcerned with the preservation of his corporeal self, he was positively obsessed with elevating the soul. Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2023

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

Word History

Etymology

Middle English corporealle, from Latin corporeus "having a body, physical" (from corpor-, corpus "body" + -eus -eous) + -alle -al entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Dictionary Entries Near corporeal

Cite this Entry

“Corporeal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corporeal. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

corporeal

adjective
cor·​po·​re·​al kȯr-ˈpōr-ē-əl How to pronounce corporeal (audio)
-ˈpȯr-
: having, consisting of, or relating to a physical material body
corporeally adverb

Medical Definition

corporeal

adjective
cor·​po·​re·​al kȯr-ˈpōr-ē-əl, -ˈpȯr- How to pronounce corporeal (audio)
: having, consisting of, or relating to a physical material body

Legal Definition

corporeal

adjective
cor·​po·​re·​al kȯr-ˈpōr-ē-əl How to pronounce corporeal (audio)
: having, consisting of, or relating to a physical material body compare incorporeal
corporeally adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on corporeal

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