incorporeal

adjective

in·​cor·​po·​re·​al ˌin-(ˌ)kȯr-ˈpȯr-ē-əl How to pronounce incorporeal (audio)
1
: not corporeal : having no material body or form
2
: of, relating to, or constituting a right that is based on property (such as bonds or patents) which has no intrinsic value
incorporeally adverb

Examples of incorporeal in a Sentence

ghosts are supposed to be incorporeal
Recent Examples on the Web If reason teaches that God is incorporeal, this means that God has no body; God does not physically see, nor do people see God. Randy L. Friedman, The Conversation, 16 Feb. 2024 The digital files are incorporeal. BostonGlobe.com, 9 June 2021 The network is incorporeal. J.m. Ledgard, Wired, 12 May 2021 After all, if someone can live without a brain, this would seem to open the door to belief in an incorporeal soul. Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 27 Jan. 2020 Their physical bodies — and your own — get entangled with those pictorial references to bodily experience, bringing a ghostly, incorporeal picture home. Christopher Knightart Critic, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2022 Apart from the incorporeal fence through which my virtual car glides, the experience is a compelling facsimile of the world. Alex Davies, WIRED, 18 July 2019 But after the away team meets the Guardian of Forever, an incorporeal lifeform tasked with guarding a time gateway, the show takes a more interesting turn. Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 29 June 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'incorporeal.' 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 incorporealle, from Anglo-French incorporel, from Latin incorporeus, from in- + corporeus corporeal

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Dictionary Entries Near incorporeal

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

incorporeal

adjective
in·​cor·​po·​re·​al ˌin-(ˌ)kȯr-ˈpōr-ē-əl How to pronounce incorporeal (audio)
-ˈpȯr-
: having no material body or form : immaterial

Legal Definition

incorporeal

adjective
in·​cor·​po·​re·​al ˌin-kȯr-ˈpōr-ē-əl How to pronounce incorporeal (audio)
: not tangible : having no material body or form
incorporeal hereditaments
an incorporeal right
compare corporeal

More from Merriam-Webster on incorporeal

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