adj · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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General-American:/ˈkɑɹnəl/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)nəl
CMU ARPABET:K AA1 R N AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Relating to the physical and especially sexual appetites or activities.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Worldly or earthly; temporal.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Of or relating to the body or flesh.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adjective
Meaning 4
of or relating to the body or flesh
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
carnal remains
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adjective satellite
Meaning 5
marked by the appetites and passions of the body
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
animal instincts
carnal knowledge
fleshly desire
a sensual delight in eating
music is the only sensual pleasure without vice
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: animal(a), fleshly, sensual
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English carnal, from Old French charnel, from Late Latin carnālis (“fleshy”), from oblique stem of Latin carō, carnis (“meat, flesh”) + -ālis (whence -al).
Across languages
Translations
46 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
جَسَدُيّ
(jasaduyy)
— relating to the physical and especially sexual appetites
Bulgarian:
плътски
(plǎtski)
— relating to the physical and especially sexual appetites
Catalan:
carnal
— relating to the physical and especially sexual appetites
Esperanto:
fivolupta
— relating to the physical and especially sexual appetites
Finnish:
himokas
— relating to the physical and especially sexual appetites
French:
charnel
— relating to the physical and especially sexual appetites
German:
fleischlich
— relating to the physical and especially sexual appetites
German:
körperlich
— relating to the physical and especially sexual appetites
German:
sexuell
— relating to the physical and especially sexual appetites
German:
sinnlich
— relating to the physical and especially sexual appetites
Greek:
σαρκικός
(sarkikós)
— relating to the physical and especially sexual appetites
Old English:
flǣsċlīċ
— relating to the physical and especially sexual appetites
Persian:
تنانه
(tanâne)
— relating to the physical and especially sexual appetites
Polish:
cielesny
— relating to the physical and especially sexual appetites
Portuguese:
carnal
— relating to the physical and especially sexual appetites
Russian:
чувственный
(čuvstvennyj)
— relating to the physical and especially sexual appetites
Russian:
плотский
(plotskij)
— relating to the physical and especially sexual appetites
Spanish:
carnal
— relating to the physical and especially sexual appetites
Spanish:
sexual
— relating to the physical and especially sexual appetites
Spanish:
concupiscente
— relating to the physical and especially sexual appetites
Spanish:
libidinoso
— relating to the physical and especially sexual appetites
Welsh:
cnawdol
— relating to the physical and especially sexual appetites
Bulgarian:
светски
(svetski)
— worldly or earthly; temporal
Finnish:
maailmallinen
— worldly or earthly; temporal
Finnish:
maallinen
— worldly or earthly; temporal
Finnish:
ajallinen
— worldly or earthly; temporal
German:
diesseitig
— worldly or earthly; temporal
Old English:
flǣsċlīċ
— worldly or earthly; temporal
Portuguese:
carnal
— worldly or earthly; temporal
Russian:
земно́й
(zemnój)
— worldly or earthly; temporal
Russian:
мирской
(mirskoj)
— worldly or earthly; temporal
Spanish:
terrenal
— worldly or earthly; temporal
Spanish:
mortal
— worldly or earthly; temporal
Bulgarian:
телесен
(telesen)
— of or relating to the body or flesh
Catalan:
carnal
— of or relating to the body or flesh
Esperanto:
karna
— of or relating to the body or flesh
Finnish:
ruumiillinen
— of or relating to the body or flesh
Finnish:
lihallinen
— of or relating to the body or flesh
Gothic:
𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌺𐌴𐌹𐌽𐍃
(leikeins)
— of or relating to the body or flesh
Old English:
flǣsċlīċ
— of or relating to the body or flesh
Portuguese:
carnal
— of or relating to the body or flesh
Russian:
телесный
(telesnyj)
— of or relating to the body or flesh
Russian:
плотский
(plotskij)
— of or relating to the body or flesh
Spanish:
carnal
— of or relating to the body or flesh
Spanish:
corporal
— of or relating to the body or flesh
Welsh:
cnawdol
— of or relating to the body or flesh
