spiritual

1 of 2

adjective

spir·​i·​tu·​al ˈspir-i-chə-wəl How to pronounce spiritual (audio)
-i-chəl,
-ich-wəl
1
: of, relating to, consisting of, or affecting the spirit : incorporeal
spiritual needs
2
a
: of or relating to sacred matters
spiritual songs
b
: ecclesiastical rather than lay or temporal
spiritual authority
lords spiritual
3
: concerned with religious values
4
: related or joined in spirit
our spiritual home
his spiritual heir
5
a
: of or relating to supernatural beings or phenomena
b
: of, relating to, or involving spiritualism : spiritualistic
spiritually adverb
spiritualness noun

spiritual

2 of 2

noun

1
spirituals plural : things of a spiritual, ecclesiastical, or religious nature
2
: a religious song usually of a deeply emotional character that was developed especially among Black people in the southern U.S.
3
capitalized : any of a party of 13th and 14th century Franciscans advocating strict observance of a rule of poverty for their order

Examples of spiritual in a Sentence

Adjective Doctors must consider the emotional and spiritual needs of their patients. I regularly consult our pastor about spiritual matters. The Romantic composers saw Beethoven as a spiritual ancestor. France will always be the spiritual home of wine lovers. Noun The congregation sang hymns and spirituals. sang a spiritual at the funeral
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
His Jiwa tribute shelf reinterprets rattan—a humble, sustainable and abundant material—as a spiritual altar-like form. Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025 Take time to renew your spiritual or religious beliefs. Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2025
Noun
The music, much of it consisting of Shaker spirituals rearranged by Daniel Blumberg (who won an Oscar for last year’s The Brutalist, directed by Fastvold’s husband and co-writer Brady Corbet), is lyrical, emotional, sometimes even angry. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025 In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Leo had refrained from any political commentary about guns in America, sending a telegram of condolence that focused exclusively on the spiritual. Nicole Winfield, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for spiritual

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French espirital, spiritual, from Late Latin spiritualis, from Latin, of breathing, of wind, from spiritus

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1582, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spiritual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spiritual. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

spiritual

1 of 2 adjective
spir·​i·​tu·​al ˈspir-ich-(ə-)wəl How to pronounce spiritual (audio)
-ich-əl
1
: of, relating to, or consisting of spirit : not bodily or material
2
: of or relating to sacred or religious matters
3
: related or joined in spirit
our spiritual home
spirituality
ˌspir-ich-ə-ˈwal-ət-ē
noun
spiritually
ˈspir-ich-(ə-)wəl-ē
-ich-əl-ē
adverb
spiritualness noun

spiritual

2 of 2 noun
: a religious song usually of a very emotional character that was developed especially among Black people in the southern U.S.

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