corporeal
adjective
cor·po·re·al
kȯr-ˈpȯr-ē-əl 
1
: having, consisting of, or relating to a physical material body: such as
a
: not spiritual
… some few traces of a diviner nature which look out through his corporeal baseness …—
Robert Browning
Robert Browning
b
: not immaterial or intangible : substantial
corporeal property
2
archaic
: corporal
corporealness
noun
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In various religions, including Christianity, corporeal existence is often called the opposite of spiritual existence, and corporeal existence, unlike spiritual existence, is often said to be contaminated with evil. The word is also often used by philosophers, especially when considering the nature of reality. For lawyers, corporeal describes physical property such as houses or cars, as opposed to something valuable but nonphysical like a good reputation.
Synonyms
Examples of corporeal in a Sentence
the corporeal nature of matter
corporeal cravings such as hunger and thirst
Recent Examples on the Web
Quickly, the corruption spreads, taking corporeal shape and overpowering Alba and her wolf.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2024
In the comics, Death takes on many forms when visiting the corporeal world, but the most common are a skeleton in black robes and a woman.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024
In the final act of cellular mitosis, the yolk splits, foreshadowing themes of corporeal replication, fragmentation, and destruction.
—Viv Chen, Vogue, 27 Sep. 2024
The entity manifests more like a trick of lighting than anything corporeal.
—Jamie Lang, Variety, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for corporeal 
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Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2024
In the comics, Death takes on many forms when visiting the corporeal world, but the most common are a skeleton in black robes and a woman.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024
In the final act of cellular mitosis, the yolk splits, foreshadowing themes of corporeal replication, fragmentation, and destruction.
—Viv Chen, Vogue, 27 Sep. 2024
The entity manifests more like a trick of lighting than anything corporeal.
—Jamie Lang, Variety, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for corporeal
Articles Related to corporeal
Dictionary Entries Near corporeal
Cite this Entry
“Corporeal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corporeal. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
corporeal
adjective
cor·po·re·al
kȯr-ˈpōr-ē-əl
-ˈpȯr-
: having, consisting of, or relating to a physical material body
Medical Definition
corporeal
adjective
cor·po·re·al
kȯr-ˈpōr-ē-əl, -ˈpȯr-
: having, consisting of, or relating to a physical material body
Legal Definition
corporeal
adjective
cor·po·re·al
kȯr-ˈpōr-ē-əl
: having, consisting of, or relating to a physical material body compare incorporeal
corporeally
adverb
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