bodily

1 of 2

adjective

bodi·​ly ˈbä-də-lē 

1

: having a body : physical

2

: of or relating to the body

bodily comfort

bodily organs

bodily

2 of 2

adverb

1

a

: in the flesh

b

: in a manner that involves physically moving someone's body

The blast lifted him bodily into the air.

Jerry Wexler called him a "parasite" and threw him bodily out of his office.

—Jack Kroll

2

: as a whole : altogether

Synonyms

Adjective

• physical

Examples of bodily in a Sentence

Adjective

The victim suffered serious bodily injury.

the old man suffered from a number of bodily ailments

Adverb

The blast lifted him bodily into the air.

The house will have to be moved bodily to the new site.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Of the threats of bodily harm and even death to men who got in the way. —Marco Della Cava, USA Today, 3 July 2025

Aren’t dino farms, in which the poor creatures are kept alive just to be drained of their precious bodily fluids, the next step? —Keith Phipps, Vulture, 1 July 2025

Adverb

For example, pink salt contains potassium and magnesium, which help balance your bodily fluids.26 Too much of any salt can be dangerous. —Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, Health, 7 July 2025

The following types of injuries can impact children: burns, bodily injury, eye trauma or vision loss, and hearing damage. —​wendy Wisner, Parents, 2 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for bodily

• caudally

Kids Definition

bodily

1 of 2 adjective

bodi·​ly ˈbäd-ᵊl-ē 

: of or relating to the body : physical

bodily

2 of 2 adverb

1

: in the flesh : by the body

removed them bodily

2

: as a whole : entirely

Medical Definition

bodily

adjective

bodi·​ly ˈbäd-ᵊl-ē 

: of or relating to the body

bodily organs