spiritual 1 of 2

adjective

ˈspir-i-chə-wəl How to pronounce spiritual (audio)
Definition of spiritualnext
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

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
Seventy-seven people from one pilgrimage group were caught in the floods at the immigration office at the border, according to a post on X from Indian spiritual guru Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. — Shristi Kafle, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026 Below, during a conversation with THR, Blair also discusses the spiritual and thematic connection between Idiots and I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026
Noun
Born in Black communities in New Orleans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, jazz emerged from a blend of African rhythms, blues, spirituals, ragtime, improvisation, and collective storytelling. — Keith Brooks, Forbes.com, 10 June 2026 Let’s go back to the first century, when Jesus united the physical and the spiritual. — Stephanie McCrummen, The Atlantic, 18 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for spiritual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiritual
  1. metaphysical
  2. religious
  3. hymn
  4. psychic
  5. sacred
  6. anthem
  7. supernatural
  8. psalm
Adjective
  • Majdi described his son’s birth in near-metaphysical terms, his own grief as shattering.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 20 Aug. 2026
  • That Dante lived during both the 13th and 14th centuries — and that Tosches’ movements as his novel’s protagonist take place at the start of the 21st century — means nothing in Schnabel’s meta-metaphysical realm.
    — A.D. Amorosi, SPIN, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of metaphysical
Adjective
  • The editor of the journal Kayhan, Hossein Shariatmadari, wrote that enforcement is both a legal obligation and a religious duty for officials.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Whether to use the stations is a private choice, and any individual may use the facilities for either a secular or religious purpose.
    — Maven Navarro, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of religious
Noun
  • Little Haiti looks ahead On a humid morning in Little Haiti, about a dozen people walked into Notre Dame d’Haiti Catholic Church for Mass, taking Communion and singing hymns in French.
    — Chris Kenning, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The rugby union side’s is ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’, originally an African-American hymn sung by slaves in the United States in the mid-19th century.
    — George Edwards, New York Times, 31 July 2026
Definition of hymn
Adjective
  • What we’re left with is the image of the fanatic, leaving prints on the grass, chasing the President’s golf cart to no avail, working out her psychic need in the epistolary form, writing as much to herself as to her addressee.
    — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2026
  • In defiance of such norms, though, Israel’s government seems to be targeting hospitals, creating psychic wounds alongside mass casualties.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of psychic
Adjective
  • These tens of thousands of petroglyphs depict animals, spiritual figures, and sacred stories.
    — Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 26 Aug. 2026
  • But Kuk, who started at Wan’s as a busboy at 13, then moved to working at the counter and then in the kitchen, also wanted to make changes that highlighted what the family considers sacred traditions.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of sacred
Noun
  • Dolly Parton, the brilliant songwriter and beloved country singer who has died at age 80, wrote one of the great anthems of the American working class.
    — John Nichols, Washington Post, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The song has endured beyond its controversy as something of an empowerment anthem.
    — Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of anthem
Adjective
  • Dark movie theaters, or creepy home basements, are the classic venues of choice for those who love supernatural scares.
    — Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • But in between the jump scares and supernatural horrors is a story of motherhood and confronting the past.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of supernatural
Noun
  • But presiding over his daughter’s outdoor wedding helped, fulfilling another psalm’s promise.
    — Peter Smith, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
  • The word appears 71 times across 39 of the 150 psalms, especially in ones written by David.
    — Drew Goins, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026
Definition of psalm

Browse Nearby Words

spirits (away or off)
spiritual
spiritualism
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Cite this Entry

“Spiritual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiritual. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on spiritual

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about spiritual

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