1
as in mundane
having to do with life on earth especially as opposed to that in heaven
the preacher warned that those who were interested only in carnal pursuits would not see the kingdom of heaven
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in physical
of or relating to the human body
a missionary who tends to the carnal needs of the people as well as to their spiritual concerns
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sensual
pleasing to the physical senses
carnal attractions of that gambling mecca in the desert
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of carnal
Wuthering Heights, the writer-director Emerald Fennell’s new adaptation of Emily Brontë’s groundbreaking Gothic novel, is her best film to date—a heaving, rip-snortingly carnal good time at the cinema.
—
David Sims, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
Christie Oster, the 38-year-old Broussard Middle School Teacher of the Year, was previously arrested by the Lafayette Police Department on charges of carnal knowledge of a juvenile and indecent behavior with juveniles.
—Alex Nitzberg, FOXNews.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Otherwise, her relation with John is carnal, her reactions brutal.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 23 Jan. 2026
On September 16, Leeann Yammarino, 44, pleaded no contest to two counts of carnal knowledge of a juvenile and two counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile.
—Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for carnal
David Sims, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
Christie Oster, the 38-year-old Broussard Middle School Teacher of the Year, was previously arrested by the Lafayette Police Department on charges of carnal knowledge of a juvenile and indecent behavior with juveniles.
—Alex Nitzberg, FOXNews.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Otherwise, her relation with John is carnal, her reactions brutal.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 23 Jan. 2026
On September 16, Leeann Yammarino, 44, pleaded no contest to two counts of carnal knowledge of a juvenile and two counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile.
—Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for carnal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for carnal
Adjective
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No workers for mundane tasks Diez revealed that manufacturers worldwide are struggling to find laborers for highly repetitive physical tasks.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
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The response was a playful dig at the mundane nature of the original headline.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Be physical, rebound and play competitive.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
14 Mar. 2026
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When Grace first awakens on his ship, the film cuts hectically around, above, and below him, as if to approximate his mental and physical disorientation.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The show is set in 2018, closer to the Ashley Madison–fallout era, when the intersection of technology and societal fracture opens the gate for Clark to break out of suburban malaise and into a wonderland of sensual, albeit pedestrian, delights.—
Andy Andersen,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2026
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Home of powerhouses like Prada, Bottega Veneta, and Marni (just to name a few), the city has long set the tone for a distinctly Italian brand of glamour–sensual, sophisticated, and just a touch of daring.—
Amanda Le,
InStyle,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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While the magnitude of these surges varies by context, the temporal clustering of activity in both cases demonstrates that social media visibility is driven by discrete political and moral shocks rather than sustained baseline engagement.—
Arnaud Kurze,
The Conversation,
9 Mar. 2026
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When choosing trees for year-long interest, consider both long-term and temporal sources of color and texture, and think about how these combine with other elements.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The operator of the e-scooter was arrested on suspicion of operating a bicycle under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs and DUI causing bodily injury, after officers conducted several field sobriety tests, police said.—
Jose Fabian,
CBS News,
11 Mar. 2026
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Brigham, 44, was charged in December with nine felonies, including statutory rape, first-degree burglary, and assault causing bodily injury.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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That likely indicates further improvements to Starlink's orbital and terrestrial infrastructure, as the service continues to grow and refine the technology.—
Brian Westover,
PC Magazine,
8 Mar. 2026
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For example, compared to the control plants grown in terrestrial soil, the plants in the simulant produced fewer seeds.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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When Hamnet dies, Agnes lets out a sound of pure grief and rage and horror that is almost animal.—
Antonia Blyth,
Deadline,
16 Feb. 2026
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And much like the fictional sport’s real-world counterpart, in this all-animal cinematic universe, roarball is the ultimate culture-definer.—
Payton Turkeltaub,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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During a roughly four-hour timespan centered on the time of perihelion, the comet will appear to pass behind the sun as seen from our earthly perspective, then rapidly swing around and cross in front of the sun.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
10 Mar. 2026
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In the album’s most beautiful moments, Triplin makes arpeggios sound like prancing through an earthly paradise and sands off juke’s rough edges to produce rhythms that seem to chug along in the margins of a daydreaming brain.—
Kiana Mickles,
Pitchfork,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Carnal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/carnal. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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