bodily

1 of 2

adjective

bodi·​ly ˈbä-də-lē How to pronounce bodily (audio)
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

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
Specifically, North Korean Christians endure serious bodily or mental harm, killing, and targeting of their children through severe public executions for their faith, being sent to political prison camps, and the targeting of their children through the Kim regime’s brutality. Olivia Enos, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024 The camera advances without the niceties of expertise, conveying the bodily and mental effort of every step taken toward Israeli forces. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2024
Adverb
But this year’s ninth edition has really caught the public’s attention, largely because of its extreme views on reproductive health amid a nationwide fight to win back the right to bodily autonomy. Katie Camero, SELF, 9 Oct. 2024 October 1, 2024 6 min read Human anatomy is delightfully varied, but female athletes are heavily criticized for not conforming to socially accepted bodily norms The Olympics are a celebration of athletic prowess, an event that incidentally highlights the diversity of the human body. Bethany Brookshire, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bodily 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bodily.' 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

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of bodily was in the 14th century

Cite this Entry

“Bodily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bodily. Accessed 2 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

bodily

1 of 2 adjective
bodi·​ly ˈbäd-ᵊl-ē How to pronounce bodily (audio)
: 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 How to pronounce bodily (audio)
: of or relating to the body
bodily organs

More from Merriam-Webster on bodily

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