corporeal

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

Updated on: 13 May 2018

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

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corporealness

noun

See corporeal defined for English-language learners

See corporeal defined for kids

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

Spellbound’s artists will lead the audience through the corporeal journey.

— kt hawbaker, chicagotribune.com, "The Chicago Children's Theatre announces inclusive 2018-19 season," 9 May 2018
Now, after being given a corporeal form, all the little prince needs is a name.

— kelly conaboy, The Cut, "7 Unbiased Name Suggestions for Duchess Kate’s Third Child," 23 Apr. 2018
At age 93, iconic Sacramento priest Monsignor Edward Kavanagh had only one desire left: to leave the corporeal world on St. Patrick’s Day and spend it instead with his favorite saint above.

— anita chabria, sacbee, "‘He was not timid’: Longtime Sacramento priest loved his parishioners, native Ireland | The Sacramento Bee," 17 Mar. 2018
A few years before the story started, the god Eothas supposedly took on corporeal form as a farmer named Waidwen and started a holy war, and the opposing side blew him up with a bomb constructed with the help of the other gods.

— thomas wells, Ars Technica, "An appreciation of games that click back and change the gamers who love them," 16 Jan. 2018
In recent years, political geeks have eagerly cataloged and compared the corporeal quirks of presidential candidates in search of patterns that reveal what the American people are looking for in a leader.

— Newsweek, "Analysis," 14 Mar. 2018
And though her words may shock and at times nauseate, Han’s corporeal investigations appear in service of a less horrifying goal: stealing a glimpse at the gentler, sturdier stuff that has no form—the soul.

— the editors, The Atlantic, "The Best Books We Read in 2017," 22 Dec. 2017
In another work, a shiny row of human teeth gets repurposed as the spine of a beast perched on a man’s head: an animalistic portrait of the human psyche, joyfully unleashed yet inextricably linked to its corporeal host.

— jane yong kim, The Atlantic, "The Sad, Ecstatic Passions of Carol Rama," 3 Sep. 2017
Being the corporeal embodiment of six millenniums of human history isn’t easy, Mr. Qader said.

— rod nordland, New York Times, "After 6,000 Years of Human Habitation, One Family and Lots of Mice," 10 Oct. 2017

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

corporeal Synonyms

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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corporeal

Definition of corporeal

corporeally

corporealness

Examples of corporeal in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of corporeal

corporeal Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

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CORPOREAL Defined for English Language Learners

corporeal

Definition of corporeal for English Language Learners

CORPOREAL Defined for Kids

corporeal

Definition of corporeal for Students

Medical Dictionary

corporeal

medical Definition of corporeal

Law Dictionary

corporeal

legal Definition of corporeal

corporeally

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