corporeal

adjective cor·po·re·al \ kȯr-ˈpȯr-ē-əl \

Definition of corporeal

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

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corporeally

play \kȯr-ˈpȯr-ē-ə-lē\ adverb

—

corporealness

noun

See corporeal defined for English-language learners

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Examples of corporeal in a Sentence

the corporeal nature of matter
corporeal cravings such as hunger and thirst

Recent Examples of corporeal from the Web

Cortana is the computer; gadgets are merely its corporeal form.

— david pierce, WIRED, "Cortana Just Got Microsoft Back in the Smartphone Game," 12 May 2017
McDavid and many other Oilers have not experienced the next-level ether or corporeal punishment (as well as mental stress) of hockey at this time of year.

— mark purdy, The Mercury News, "Purdy: One critical Sharks’ factor is trending downward before Edmonton series," 10 Apr. 2017
Surely there must be some ancient text about this, this curious confluence of corporeal events?

— richard lawson, Vanities, "What Do Justin Bieber’s New Tattoos Really Mean?," 21 Mar. 2017
Others speculate that our corporeal beings will one day be made inorganic.

— dawn chan, The New Yorker, "The Immortality Upgrade," 20 Apr. 2016
In the corporeal metaphors that the industrial rail network often inspired, stations were the beating hearts, rail lines the arteries, trains and passengers the vital blood.

— henry grabar, The Atlantic, "The Lost Excitement, Pathos, and Beauty of the Railroad Timetable," 22 Nov. 2013
The symbolic leaders of the movement to avoid gluten are charismatic public figures known for their corporeal beauty or athletic prowess.

— jeffrey steingarten, Vogue, "Is True Happiness Possible Without Gluten?," 27 Sep. 2013
The advent of the silicone breast implant represented to many women the ability to alter their corporeal fate; the hand dealt to them by their genetic coding.

— eryn green, Esquire, "A World Without Balding," 21 Mar. 2011
While even stationary entertainment can lead to corporeal changes –

— jonah lehrer, WIRED, "The Emotions of Kinect," 29 Nov. 2010

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'corporeal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

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.

Origin and Etymology of corporeal

Middle English, from Latin corporeus of the body, from corpor-, corpus — see corpus

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First Known Use: 15th century

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corporeal Synonyms

Synonyms

animal, bodily, carnal, corporal, physical, fleshly, material, somatic

Antonyms

nonmaterial, nonphysical

Related Words

anatomic (or anatomical), physiological (or physiologic); sensual, sensuous; hand-to-hand

Near Antonyms

cerebral, inner, intellectual, mental, psychological (also psychologic); bodiless, immaterial, incorporeal, insubstantial, spiritual; ethereal, metaphysical, psychic (also psychical)

Synonym Discussion of 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

Other Anatomy Terms

bilateral symmetry, carotid, cartilage, dorsal, entrails, prehensile, renal, solar plexus, supine, thoracic, ventral

CORPOREAL Defined for English Language Learners

corporeal

adjective

Definition of corporeal for English Language Learners

: having or consisting of a physical body or form

CORPOREAL Defined for Kids

corporeal

adjective cor·po·re·al \ kȯr-ˈpȯr-ē-əl \

Definition of corporeal for Students

:having, consisting of, or relating to a physical body

Where was her body? … The corporeal Meg simply was not.
—Madeleine L'Engle, A Wrinkle in Time

Medical Dictionary

corporeal

adjective cor·po·re·al \ kȯr-ˈpōr-ē-əl, -ˈpȯr- \

medical Definition of corporeal

:having, consisting of, or relating to a physical material body

Law Dictionary

corporeal

adjective cor·po·re·al \ kȯr-ˈpōr-ē-əl \

legal Definition of corporeal

:having, consisting of, or relating to a physical material body — compare incorporeal

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corporeally

adverb

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Origin and Etymology of corporeal

corporeal Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Synonym Discussion of corporeal

Other Anatomy Terms

CORPOREAL Defined for English Language Learners

corporeal

Definition of corporeal for English Language Learners

CORPOREAL Defined for Kids

corporeal

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corporeal

medical Definition of corporeal

Law Dictionary

corporeal

legal Definition of corporeal

corporeally

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