bodily

1 of 2

adjective

bodi·​ly ˈbä-də-lē 

1

: having a body : physical

2

: of or relating to the body

bodily comfort

bodily organs

bodily

2 of 2

adverb

1

a

: in the flesh

b

: in a manner that involves physically moving someone's body

The blast lifted him bodily into the air.

Jerry Wexler called him a "parasite" and threw him bodily out of his office.

—Jack Kroll

2

: as a whole : altogether

Synonyms of bodily

Adjective

• physical

Examples of bodily in a Sentence

Adjective

The victim suffered serious bodily injury.

the old man suffered from a number of bodily ailments

Adverb

The blast lifted him bodily into the air.

The house will have to be moved bodily to the new site.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Riverside County Sheriff’s Glynn Wilburn was charged with gross vehicular manslaughter, felony reckless driving causing serious injury and great bodily injury enhancement, according to a June 18 release from the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. —Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 22 June 2026

Prosecutors said the jury’s conviction included aggravating factors for crimes that involved great violence, great bodily harm, a threat of great bodily harm and violence with a serious danger to society. —Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 22 June 2026

Adverb

Viewing immigration enforcement through a reproductive justice lens reveals how access to care, bodily autonomy and community stability are deeply connected – and how obstructing them has real health consequences. —Jallicia Jolly, The Conversation, 15 June 2026

There’s folklore in these stories, and Southern gothic horror, and surrealism, and fantasy, and, at their center, a thread of uneasy, bodily realism. —Literary Hub, 2 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for bodily

• caudally

Kids Definition

bodily

1 of 2 adjective

bodi·​ly ˈbäd-ᵊl-ē 

: of or relating to the body : physical

bodily

2 of 2 adverb

1

: in the flesh : by the body

removed them bodily

2

: as a whole : entirely

Medical Definition

bodily

adjective

bodi·​ly ˈbäd-ᵊl-ē 

: of or relating to the body

bodily organs