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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in hymn
a religious song
sang a spiritual at the funeral
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spiritual
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 9 June 2026
Not like my boyfriend’s family’s doorbell, with its complicated, seven-tone church melody that gives you spiritual chills and causes you to quiver excitedly.
—Literary Hub, 8 June 2026
Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
The music is eclectic and includes sounds associated with Islam as well as bluegrass, hymns and spirituals.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spiritual
Adjective
The question of aliens has always been a spiritual one.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 9 June 2026
Not like my boyfriend’s family’s doorbell, with its complicated, seven-tone church melody that gives you spiritual chills and causes you to quiver excitedly.
—Literary Hub, 8 June 2026
Noun
Even in Paul, though, the spiritual is balanced by the material.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
The music is eclectic and includes sounds associated with Islam as well as bluegrass, hymns and spirituals.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spiritual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiritual
Adjective
-
Mystical, metaphysical, and frequently touched by whimsy, his boundary-breaking work reflected his abiding interest in Surrealists such as Joseph Cornell, Giorgio di Chirico, and René Magritte.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
12 June 2026
-
Some of the dialogue feels like Harrison’s own metaphysical musings rather than characters’ speech.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
For modern scholars of religious and social history, cheese is not the most exciting part of this discovery.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
The neighborhood is near major religious sites Abu Diab’s neighborhood, al-Bustan, extends through a valley just outside the Old City, with the dome of the Al-Aqsa Mosque visible above the towering walls.—
Sam Mednick,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
During the memorial service, hundreds of students from Utumishi Girls Academy sang a somber hymn declaring that all shall be well.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 June 2026
-
Traditionally played on string instruments like the dulcimer, fiddle, and banjo, this distinctly twangy genre passed down religious hymns, ballads, and folktales through generations.—
Hillary Richard,
Travel + Leisure,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Where things get a little weirder comes when Labbé introduces psychic powers into the mix.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
-
If those with the strongest case to make against injustice could refuse the psychic consolations of victimhood, then there is something especially unbecoming in white Americans learning to speak the language of racial grievance.—
Thomas Chatterton Williams,
The Atlantic,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Midwest is home to the history of sophisticated Indigenous villages and sacred landscapes.—
USA TODAY Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
-
Moreover, Christian humanists believe the sacred-secular divide that many Christians embrace is not just artificial but profoundly misguided.—
Peter Wehner,
The Atlantic,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
In 2026, the anthem doesn’t just introduce the tournament.—
Desjah Altvater,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
The capacity crowd all sang along to a rendition of Cielito Lindo, a folk song that has become a de facto anthem for the Mexico national team.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
O'Connor's whistleblowing programmer Daniel Kellner and Blunt's Missouri meteorologist Margaret Fairchild are eventually drawn together, thanks to the awakening of her supernatural mind-reading skills.—
Jack Smart,
PEOPLE,
12 June 2026
-
Helping bring the game’s supernatural noir atmosphere to life is award-winning composer Chase Bethea.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Over the course of Gregory Orr’s long career, his poems have become increasingly incantatory, more and more like chants or psalms, repeating, reformulating, reaching for the edges of the same rich metaphors.—
Craig Morgan Teicher,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
-
The epitome of that tradition is Choral Evensong, an evening service of hymns, psalms and prayers laid out by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, the first Protestant archbishop of the Church of England, in 1549.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spiritual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiritual. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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