adj · noun · 14 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
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/ˈspɪɹɪtʃʊəl/
UK:/ˈspɪɹɪtjʊəl/
US:/ˈspɪɹɪt͡ʃuəl/
US:/ˈspɪɹɪ̈t͡ʃul̩/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:S P IH1 R IH0 CH UW2 AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Respect towards ancestors is an essential part of Thai spiritual practice.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Of or pertaining to God or a place of worship; sacred, pure; (Christianity, specifically) inspired by the Holy Spirit.
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 pertaining to spirits; supernatural.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adj
Meaning 4
Consisting of spirit; not material; incorporeal.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
a spiritual substance or being
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adj
Meaning 5
Of or relating to the intellectual and higher endowments of the mind; mental; intellectual.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
adj
Meaning 6
Not lay or temporal; relating to sacred things; ecclesiastical.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
the spiritual functions of the clergy; lords spiritual and temporal; a spiritual corporation
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
A Christian religious song, especially one in an African-American style, or a similar non-religious song.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
Any spiritual function, office, or affair.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
noun
Meaning 9
A member of a branch of the Franciscan order that advocated simple dress and renounced the owning of property.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: historical
Topics: Christianity
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
10
adjective satellite
Meaning 10
lacking material body or form or substance-Lewis Mumford
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
spiritual beings
the vital transcendental soul belonging to the spiritual realm
concerned with sacred matters or religion or the church
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
religious texts
a member of a religious order
lords temporal and spiritual
spiritual leaders
spiritual songs
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: religious
Antonyms: none provided
13
adjective satellite
Meaning 13
concerned with or affecting the spirit or soul
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a spiritual approach to life
spiritual fulfillment
spiritual values
unearthly love
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: unearthly
Antonyms: none provided
14
noun
Meaning 14
a kind of religious song originated by Blacks in the southern United States
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Negro spiritual
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: religious song
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)peys-der.? Latin spīrō Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Italic *-tus Latin -tus Latin spīritus Proto-Indo-European *h2el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Late Latin spīrituālisder. Old French spirituelbor. Middle English spiritual English spiritual From Middle English spiritual, spirituel, from Old French spirituel, from Late Latin spīrituālis, from Latin spīritus. By surface analysis, spirit + -ual.
Across languages
Translations
119 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
geestelik
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Afrikaans:
spiritueel
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Arabic:
رُوحَانِيّ
(rūḥāniyy)
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Arabic:
رُوحِيّ
(rūḥiyy)
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Armenian:
հոգեւոր
(hogewor)
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Asturian:
espiritual
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Azerbaijani:
ruhi
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Azerbaijani:
ruhani
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Azerbaijani:
mənəvi
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Belarusian:
духо́ўны
(duxówny)
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Bengali:
আধ্যাত্মিক
(addhattik)
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Bulgarian:
духо́вен
(duhóven)
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Catalan:
espiritual
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Chinese Mandarin:
精神
(jīngshén)
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Czech:
duchovní
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Danish:
åndelig
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Dutch:
geestelijk
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Dutch:
spiritueel
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Esperanto:
spirita
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Esperanto:
anima
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Estonian:
vaimne
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Finnish:
hengellinen
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Finnish:
henkinen
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
French:
spirituel
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Galician:
espiritual
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
German:
geistig
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Gothic:
𐌰𐌷𐌼𐌴𐌹𐌽𐍃
(ahmeins)
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Greek:
πνευματικός
(pnevmatikós)
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Ancient Greek:
πνευματικός
(pneumatikós)
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Hebrew:
רוּחָנִי
(rukhaní)
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Hindi:
आध्यात्मिक
(ādhyātmik)
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Hungarian:
spirituális
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Hungarian:
lelki
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Irish:
spioradálta
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Old Irish:
spirutálta
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Italian:
spirituale
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Japanese:
精神的
(seishinteki)
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Kazakh:
рухани
(ruxani)
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Korean:
정신적
(jeongsinjeok)
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Korean:
정신의
(jeongsinui)
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Kyrgyz:
руханий
(ruhaniy)
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Macedonian:
духовен
(duhoven)
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Malagasy:
ara-panahy
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Malayalam:
ആത്മീയ
(ātmīya)
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Manx:
spyrrydoil
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Māori:
whakawairua
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Middle English:
gostly
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Norwegian:
åndelig
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Norwegian:
spirituell
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Occitan:
espirital
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Old East Slavic:
духовьнꙑи
(duxovĭnyi)
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Old English:
gāstlīċ
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Persian:
روحی
(ruhi)
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Persian:
معنوی
(ma'navi)
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Persian:
روحانی
(rowhâni)
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Polish:
duchowy
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Portuguese:
espiritual
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Romanian:
sufletesc
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Romanian:
spiritual
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Russian:
духо́вный
(duxóvnyj)
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Serbo-Croatian:
ду̀хо̄внӣ
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Serbo-Croatian:
dùhōvnī
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Slovak:
duchovný
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Slovene:
duhoven
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Upper Sorbian:
duchowny
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Spanish:
espiritual
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Swedish:
andlig
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Tagalog:
makadiwa
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Tajik:
рӯҳӣ
(rühi)
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Tajik:
маънавӣ
(ma'navi)
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Telugu:
ఆధ్యాత్మిక
(ādhyātmika)
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Turkish:
spiritüel
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Turkish:
tinsel
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Turkish:
ruhsal
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Turkish:
manevi
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Turkish:
ruhani
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Ukrainian:
духо́вний
(duxóvnyj)
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Uzbek:
ruhiy
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Uzbek:
maʼnaviy
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Welsh:
ysbrydol
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Yiddish:
רוחיש
(rukhish)
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Yiddish:
גײַסטיק
(gaystik)
— of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul
Afrikaans:
geestelik
— of or pertaining to God or a place of worship; sacred
Bulgarian:
свят
(svjat)
— of or pertaining to God or a place of worship; sacred
Finnish:
hengellinen
— of or pertaining to God or a place of worship; sacred
Finnish:
pyhä
— of or pertaining to God or a place of worship; sacred
Middle English:
gostly
— of or pertaining to God or a place of worship; sacred
Turkish:
manevi
— of or pertaining to God or a place of worship; sacred
Turkish:
ruhani
— of or pertaining to God or a place of worship; sacred
Afrikaans:
spiritueel
— of or pertaining to spirits; supernatural
Bulgarian:
свръхестествен
(svrǎhestestven)
— of or pertaining to spirits; supernatural
Finnish:
henkimaailman
— of or pertaining to spirits; supernatural
Finnish:
yliluonnollinen
— of or pertaining to spirits; supernatural
Malayalam:
ആത്മീയ
(ātmīya)
— of or pertaining to spirits; supernatural
Romanian:
spiritual
— of or pertaining to spirits; supernatural
Turkish:
manevi
— of or pertaining to spirits; supernatural
Afrikaans:
spiritueel
— consisting of spirit; not material
Bulgarian:
духовен
(duhoven)
— consisting of spirit; not material
Finnish:
henki-
— consisting of spirit; not material
Malayalam:
അലൗകിക
(alaukika)
— consisting of spirit; not material
Middle English:
gostly
— consisting of spirit; not material
Turkish:
manevi
— consisting of spirit; not material
Turkish:
tinsel
— consisting of spirit; not material
Afrikaans:
spiritueel
— of or relating to the intellectual and higher endowments of the mind
Bulgarian:
одухотворен
(oduhotvoren)
— of or relating to the intellectual and higher endowments of the mind
Estonian:
vaimne
— of or relating to the intellectual and higher endowments of the mind
Finnish:
henkinen
— of or relating to the intellectual and higher endowments of the mind
Finnish:
älyllinen
— of or relating to the intellectual and higher endowments of the mind
Finnish:
Pyhän Hengen johdattama
— Christianity: controlled and inspired by the Holy Spirit
Bulgarian:
свят
(svjat)
— not lay or temporal; relating to sacred things
Finnish:
hengellinen
— not lay or temporal; relating to sacred things
Māori:
whakawairua
— not lay or temporal; relating to sacred things
Middle English:
gostly
— not lay or temporal; relating to sacred things
Bulgarian:
религиозна песен
(religiozna pesen)
— folk song