1
as in metaphysical
not composed of matter
a staunch skeptic and realist, he scoffs at the very notion of ghosts and other spiritual entities
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in religious
of, relating to, or used in the practice or worship services of a religion
spiritual songs that have been sung by generations of worshippers
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in hymn
a religious song
sang a spiritual at the funeral
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spiritual
Shannon Carlin, Time, 1 May 2025
The irony, of course, was that Reagan, in fact, was deeply spiritual—the first (and maybe the last) fundamentalist to serve as president.
—Richard D. Mahoney, JSTOR Daily, 30 Apr. 2025
H. Alan Scott, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025
Those harmonies pulled every one of the songs toward the spiritual even when the rhythms are unmistakably designed for a party, a fusion that can be invigorating.
—Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spiritual
Adjective
Shamanism, anthropologist Manvir Singh’s debut, traces the evolution of the titular spiritual practice.
—Shannon Carlin, Time, 1 May 2025
The irony, of course, was that Reagan, in fact, was deeply spiritual—the first (and maybe the last) fundamentalist to serve as president.
—Richard D. Mahoney, JSTOR Daily, 30 Apr. 2025
Noun
A lot of hymns and negro spirituals are communication.
—H. Alan Scott, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025
Those harmonies pulled every one of the songs toward the spiritual even when the rhythms are unmistakably designed for a party, a fusion that can be invigorating.
—Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spiritual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiritual
Adjective
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Photo: Alfama Films No one writes dialogue like Cronenberg — perplexing alien dialogue, a sci-fi tongue of oddball terminology and metaphysical shop talk.—
A.A. Dowd,
Vulture,
28 Apr. 2025
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Owning pets is also a metaphysical threat to the fabric of reality, even for straights.—
Samantha Riedel,
Them.,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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In general, historical and religious scholars don't put much stock in it.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
4 May 2025
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Conclave received largely positive reviews from religious experts for its largely accurate portrayal of the election process, and also won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
3 May 2025
Noun
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Next to Margaret, one of the two angels holds a book of song, once thought to be a hymn by the English composer Walter Frye but now identified as musical gibberish.—
Eli Wizevich,
Smithsonian Magazine,
8 May 2025
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The hymn implores the saints to help the cardinals find a successor to Pope Francis to lead the 1.4 billion-strong Catholic Church.—
Nicole Winfield,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2025
Adjective
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While the team of researchers hailed the success of the telescope, the road to its construction was marked by years of protests against the placement of yet another massive device on what many native Hawaiians view as sacred land.—
Alana Wise,
NPR,
3 May 2025
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Leave it to Taurus Season — the first Earth sign of the astrological year — to give us a bit more sacred stillness and space to just be.—
Colin Bedell,
Them.,
2 May 2025
Noun
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This week’s crop of new music finds Luke Combs and Bailey Zimmerman pairing up on a hard-charging anthem about grit and determination.—
Jessica Nicholson,
Billboard,
5 May 2025
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At the Big Ass Stadium Tour kick off, Post Malone and Jelly Roll kept the anthems and beer flowing for 3 ½ hours at Rice-Eccles Stadium on April 29.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
Adjective
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Aerial shots of water are used as scene wipes and their crashing noise underscores his psychic distress.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2025
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Regular podcast listeners know the psychic reading was a significant experience during the tour, and the gigglers will finally see footage of that moment.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The funeral of Pope Francis began with a short musical chant and psalm spoken in Latin after an open Book of the Gospels had been placed on top of Pope Francis’ closed coffin carried by pallbearers from inside St. Peter’s and placed on a red carpet on the edge of the church steps.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
26 Apr. 2025
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The faithful will recite several religious verses, including psalm 22, ‘The Lord is my Shepherd,’ during the service.—
Caitlin Danaher,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The twins successfully pack the juke joint with customers who are intoxicated by Sammie’s supernatural skills with a guitar—Delta Slim describes Black music as a kind of magic, and in another striking scene, Sammie’s playing summons the spirits of the revelers’ ancestors and descendants.—
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
2 May 2025
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The film, set in 1930s Mississippi and layered with supernatural tension, required not just historical precision but spiritual and emotional resonance.—
Essence,
Essence,
1 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spiritual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiritual. Accessed 14 May. 2025.
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