as in hymns
a religious song
sang a spiritual at the funeral
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spirituals
For their next concert, the VocalEssence choirs will recall the civil rights movement through anthems, spirituals and more.
—
Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 18 Jan. 2026
America’s long struggle against racial segregation was accompanied by a righteous soundtrack of spirituals and gospel and soul music, anthems that channeled sanctified fervor into the fight for equality.
—Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2026
From slave spirituals to civil rights-era protest songs to the YG and Kendrick Lamar songs that soundtracked the last decade of Black Lives Matter protests, musicians across genres tend to react to our country’s horrors with music.
—Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 9 Jan. 2026
Place your order before the start of the concert, dine in, then cap it off with dessert and a performance — in this case, a smorgasbord of Irish fiddle tunes, spirituals and even some early jazz.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
Davenport carries forward Hogan’s mission to uplift spirituals by continuing to teach his own interpretations of many of the late composer’s arrangements to the choir.
—Tevon Blair, Essence, 30 Dec. 2025
Fastvold shows us religious tableaus coming to life set to Daniel Blumberg’s arrangements of Shaker spirituals.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2025
The event features a community sing-along of American spirituals, folk songs and bluegrass favorites, hosted by conductor and composer John Yankee with musicians from the San Diego Bluegrass Society, Mission Bay High School and PB Community Choir.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Oct. 2025
Cole’s formative years were spent in church; gospel songs, hymns and spirituals formed the foundation of his musical education.
—Donna M. Cox, The Conversation, 18 Feb. 2025
Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 18 Jan. 2026
America’s long struggle against racial segregation was accompanied by a righteous soundtrack of spirituals and gospel and soul music, anthems that channeled sanctified fervor into the fight for equality.
—Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2026
From slave spirituals to civil rights-era protest songs to the YG and Kendrick Lamar songs that soundtracked the last decade of Black Lives Matter protests, musicians across genres tend to react to our country’s horrors with music.
—Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 9 Jan. 2026
Place your order before the start of the concert, dine in, then cap it off with dessert and a performance — in this case, a smorgasbord of Irish fiddle tunes, spirituals and even some early jazz.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
Davenport carries forward Hogan’s mission to uplift spirituals by continuing to teach his own interpretations of many of the late composer’s arrangements to the choir.
—Tevon Blair, Essence, 30 Dec. 2025
Fastvold shows us religious tableaus coming to life set to Daniel Blumberg’s arrangements of Shaker spirituals.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2025
The event features a community sing-along of American spirituals, folk songs and bluegrass favorites, hosted by conductor and composer John Yankee with musicians from the San Diego Bluegrass Society, Mission Bay High School and PB Community Choir.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Oct. 2025
Cole’s formative years were spent in church; gospel songs, hymns and spirituals formed the foundation of his musical education.
—Donna M. Cox, The Conversation, 18 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spirituals
Noun
-
At the end of the service, after the hymns and prayers, the congregation stood to applaud, and the pastor stepped back.—
Sarah Bahari,
Dallas Morning News,
1 Feb. 2026
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But a few Welsh place names have been added, along with Welsh-language hymns.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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And perhaps not much more needs to be said about where one of the most iconic anthems devoted to human kindness lands anew in the current American climate, although much could.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Hers was the kind of salt-of-the-earth family often celebrated in the anthems of The Homeland.—
Ta-Nehisi Coates,
Vanity Fair,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The Psalms of the fifth century BC posited seventy years as the standard length of a human life.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Craig Conway) Psalms Of The People (Salim Nan Daoine) (dir.—
Diana Lodderhose,
Deadline,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spirituals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spirituals. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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