corporeal

adjective

cor·​po·​re·​al kȯr-ˈpȯr-ē-əl 

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

corporeally

kȯr-ˈpȯr-ē-ə-lē 

adverb

corporealness noun

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.

Synonyms

• physical
• bodily

Choose the Right Synonym for 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

Examples of corporeal in a Sentence

the corporeal nature of matter

corporeal cravings such as hunger and thirst

Recent Examples on the Web

At its première, at the Avignon Festival, in 2023, this two-and-a-half-hour exercise in corporeal commitment was greeted as both a scandal and a career-making success. —Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025

Also at play is the culture of sport itself, an arena of ultimate corporeal sacrifice — and a multi-billion-dollar enterprise. —Megan Feringa, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025

Ashley Darby, after seven winters, six summers, and two presidential administrations, has finally gotten divorced from the corporeal gremlin known as Michael Darby. —Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025

Voldemort only appears in Rowling's novel as a grotesque face growing out of another character's head in that first book, and doesn't receive a full-bodied corporeal form until the climax of the fourth book in the series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. —Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English corporealle, from Latin corporeus "having a body, physical" (from corpor-, corpus "body" + -eus -eous) + -alle -al entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for corporeal

• incorporeal
• extracorporeal

Kids Definition

corporeal

adjective

cor·​po·​re·​al kȯr-ˈpōr-ē-əl 

-ˈpȯr-

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

corporeally

-ˈpōr-ē-ə-lē 

-ˈpȯr-

adverb

Medical Definition

corporeal

adjective

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

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

Legal Definition

corporeal

adjective

cor·​po·​re·​al kȯr-ˈpōr-ē-əl 

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

corporeally adverb