corpus

noun

cor·​pus ˈkȯr-pəs 

plural corpora ˈkȯr-p(ə-)rə 

1

: the body of a human or animal especially when dead

2

a

: the main part or body of a bodily structure or organ

the corpus of the uterus

b

: the main body or corporeal substance of a thing

specifically : the principal of a fund or estate as distinct from income or interest

3

a

: all the writings or works of a particular kind or on a particular subject

especially : the complete works of an author

b

: a collection or body of knowledge or evidence

especially : a collection of recorded utterances used as a basis for the descriptive analysis of a language

Synonyms of corpus

• output

Examples of corpus in a Sentence

a computerized corpus of English

Jane Austen's corpus is modest in number but magnificent in achievement.

Recent Examples on the Web

That leaves a petition for a writ of habeas corpus — in other words, a challenge to detention filed in federal court — as the only option for an attorney looking to get a client out of detention. —Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026

The process consisted of training a type of machine learning algorithm called a neural network on a corpus of videos so that the network would learn to take in a frame of a new video and output a plausible next frame. —Quanta Magazine, 20 Feb. 2026

In a time when immigration policy continues to evolve and enforcement practices intensify, Quintero said, habeas corpus remains one of the strongest legal tools available. —Juan Carlos Chavez, Sun Sentinel, 18 Feb. 2026

In Fan’s case, the transfer to Tulsa came just as Hasse was preparing to argue a habeas corpus petition before a Sequoyah County judge. —Ben Fenwick, Oklahoma Watch, 13 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Latin, "body, entity, group of people, collection, compendium" — more at midriff

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing corpus

• corpus allatum
• corpus callosum
• corpus cardiacum
• corpus delicti
• corpus luteum
• corpus striatum
• habeas corpus
• habeas corpus ad subjiciendum
• writ of habeas corpus

Rhymes for corpus

• porpoise

Medical Definition

corpus

noun

cor·​pus ˈkȯr-pəs 

plural corpora -p(ə-)rə 

1

: the human or animal body especially when dead

2

: the main part or body of a bodily structure or organ

the corpus of the jaw

see corpus uteri

Legal Definition

corpus

noun

cor·​pus ˈkȯr-pəs, -ˌpu̇s 

plural corpora -pə-rə 

: the main body of a thing

specifically : the principal of a fund, trust, or estate as distinct from income or interest : res