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spirituals

 - 5 dictionary results

spir⋅it⋅u⋅al

[spir-i-choo-uhl]
–adjective
1. of, pertaining to, or consisting of spirit; incorporeal.
2. of or pertaining to the spirit or soul, as distinguished from the physical nature: a spiritual approach to life.
3. closely akin in interests, attitude, outlook, etc.: the professor's spiritual heir in linguistics.
4. of or pertaining to spirits or to spiritualists; supernatural or spiritualistic.
5. characterized by or suggesting predominance of the spirit; ethereal or delicately refined: She is more of a spiritual type than her rowdy brother.
6. of or pertaining to the spirit as the seat of the moral or religious nature.
7. of or pertaining to sacred things or matters; religious; devotional; sacred.
8. of or belonging to the church; ecclesiastical: lords spiritual and temporal.
9. of or relating to the mind or intellect.
–noun
10. a spiritual or religious song: authentic folk spirituals.
11. spirituals, affairs of the church.
12. a spiritual thing or matter.

Origin:
1275–1325; ME < ML spīrituālis, equiv. to L spīritu- (s. of spīritus spirit ) + -ālis -al 1


spir⋅it⋅u⋅al⋅ly, adverb
spir⋅it⋅u⋅al⋅ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To spirituals
spir·i·tu·al   (spĭr'ĭ-chōō-əl)   
adj.  
  1. Of, relating to, consisting of, or having the nature of spirit; not tangible or material. See Synonyms at immaterial.

  2. Of, concerned with, or affecting the soul.

  3. Of, from, or relating to God; deific.

  4. Of or belonging to a church or religion; sacred.

  5. Relating to or having the nature of spirits or a spirit; supernatural.

n.  
    1. A religious folk song of African-American origin.

    2. A work composed in imitation of such a song.

  1. Religious, spiritual, or ecclesiastical matters. Often used in the plural.


[Middle English, from Old French spirituel, from Latin spīrituālis, of breathing, spiritual, from spīritus, breath; see spirit.]
spir'i·tu·al·ly adv., spir'i·tu·al·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Cultural Dictionary

spirituals

Religious songs of African-Americans, often written with freer rhythms and harmonies than most standard hymns. Spirituals, many of which go back to the days of slavery, often speak of biblical models of deliverance, like the Exodus. Some well-known spirituals are “Gonna Lay Down My Burden,” “Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho,” “Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen,” “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In.”


spirituals

A kind of religious song originated by African-Americans. Spirituals are often written with freer rhythms and harmonies than most standard hymns. Many of them go back to the days of slavery, and they often speak of biblical models of deliverance, such as the Exodus. Several spirituals have become standard pieces of music for concert singers and choruses. “Gonna Lay Down My Burden,” “Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho,” “Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen,” “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In” are spirituals.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

spiritual  (adj.)
"of or concerning the spirit" (especially in religious aspects), 1303, from O.Fr. spirituel (12c.), from L. spiritualis, from spiritus "of breathing, of the spirit" (see spirit). Meaning "of or concerning the church" is attested from 1338. The noun sense of "African-American religious song" first recorded 1866. Spirituality (1417) is from M.Fr. spiritualite, from L.L. spiritualitatem (nom. spiritualitas), from L. spiritualis). An earlier form was spiritualty (1377).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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