SPIRITUAL Synonyms: 88 Similar and Opposite Words

spiritual 1 of 2

adjective

ˈspir-i-chə-wəl

Definition of spiritual

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

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

spiritual

2 of 2

noun

as in hymn

a religious song sang a spiritual at the funeral

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of spiritual

Adjective

The character's physical and spiritual deterioration is part of what drew Nam in. — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 This is also a highly spiritual moment for you that seemingly gives you a direct line to divinity. — Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 July 2026

Noun

Let’s go back to the first century, when Jesus united the physical and the spiritual. — Stephanie McCrummen, The Atlantic, 18 May 2026 Stanley had a songbook full of these, some spirited, some spiritual. — Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for spiritual

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiritual

Adjective

The war on language is more metaphysical than just the policing of proper social justice terminology, Williams argues.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
Varsha’s mysterious memories are apparently linked to a much larger set of crises, and in order to make sense of these connections, both Dinu and Ghosh will have to dispense with the material and tread into the metaphysical.

— Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026

Definition of metaphysical

Adjective

Enrollment in private schools in Miami-Dade County — religious and non-religious — has increased from about 70,000 to 92,000 the past two decades, according to reporting by the Miami Herald.

— Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 25 July 2026
Tuckers Grove, a historically Black religious camp meeting site, is about 600 feet from the northern edge of Irongate, Joshua Grant, Lincoln County planning and inspections manager told The Charlotte Observer.

— Joe Marusak July 25, Charlotte Observer, 25 July 2026

Definition of religious

Noun

Faithful gather to sing hymns and sip Bloody Marys, and a revolving cast of chaplains, including one who once served at the University of Texas chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, lead services.

— Pam LeBlanc, Southern Living, 20 July 2026
One of six children, Tyler grew up idolizing Tina Turner and Janis Joplin and singing hymns in the Anglican church her parents attended.

— Adela Suliman, NBC news, 9 July 2026

Definition of hymn

Adjective

The subjectivity of the original tale thus becomes a kind of psychic landscape in Visconti’s film.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 24 July 2026
And Amthor the ‘psychic consultant’ and Sonderberg the ‘dope doctor’ are lesser figures in a novel in which no detail is left undescribed.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026

Definition of psychic

Adjective

This place has a mysterious spiritual atmosphere, shaped by the idea of sacred cosmic energy and stories of warriors who gained supernatural powers through intense training.

— Shivani Vora, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Delta musicians also often used call-and-response patterns, which were common in African music and were used in other blues styles and in African American sacred music, including spirituals.

— René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026

Definition of sacred

Adjective

This place has a mysterious spiritual atmosphere, shaped by the idea of sacred cosmic energy and stories of warriors who gained supernatural powers through intense training.

— Shivani Vora, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Is the show suddenly switching genres from adventure to supernatural?

— Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 29 July 2026

Definition of supernatural

Noun

Take The Music Lesson, a study of a young woman playing the virginal, closely watched by a gentleman, which Graham-Dixon reads as a depiction of Collegiants chastely performing and singing psalms.

— Clare Bucknell, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
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

Definition of psalm

Cite this Entry

Style

“Spiritual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiritual. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of spiritual

adjective

noun

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