[spir-i-choo-uh
l] 
| 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. |
| 10. | a spiritual or religious song: authentic folk spirituals. |
| 11. | spirituals, affairs of the church. |
| 12. | a spiritual thing or matter. |
| spir·i·tu·al (spĭr'ĭ-chōō-əl) adj.
[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. |
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.”
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.
