Spiritual
adjective /ˈspɪrɪtʃʊəl/ — Relating to the spirit — that which is not material but still essential.
Definition
Relating to or affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things; relating to religion or religious belief; (in African-American usage) a religious folk song.
Beyond the definition
Spiritual is the word that claims there is more than the physical — that there is a dimension of experience that cannot be reduced to matter. Both religious and secular people use it: the spiritual person is one who takes the inner life seriously, whatever their theology.
Origin & history
From Latin spiritualis — relating to breath, spirit (from spiritus: breath, spirit, from spirare: to breathe). The breathing quality — spirit as breath, the spiritual as the dimension of the breathed.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
She was spiritual but not religious — a distinction that mattered to her and confused others.
The spiritual dimension of the loss: she was grieving not just a person but a whole cosmology.
Spiritual experience doesn't require a church — it requires only the capacity for awe.
How to use it
This entry uses an adjective. Follow the examples for the nouns it describes and its position in the sentence.
Choose “Spiritual” when the meaning fits your context: Relating to or affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things; relating to religion or religious belief; (in African-American usage) a religious folk song.
Synonyms
divine, sacred, transcendent, inner, non-material
Antonyms
material, physical, secular, bodily
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Entering an Ancient Forest
An adult stands at the edge of an ancient forest, holding a glowing talisman while moving from sunlit to shadowed ground.
The talisman’s glow and the adult’s reverent entry into the vast, ancient forest illustrate a spiritual journey. The transition between light and shadow highlights an internal or transcendental shift, separating the human from the profound, mysterious nature of the sacred space.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Spiritual" mean?
Spiritual is adjective meaning: Relating to the spirit — that which is not material but still essential.. Relating to or affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things; relating to religion or religious belief; (in African-American usage) a religious folk song.
Where does the word "Spiritual" come from?
From Latin spiritualis — relating to breath, spirit (from spiritus: breath, spirit, from spirare: to breathe). The breathing quality — spirit as breath, the spiritual as the dimension of the breathed.