Definitions for spirit
ˈspɪr ɪtspir·it

Princeton's WordNet(3.64 / 11 votes)Rate this definition:

1. spiritnoun

   the vital principle or animating force within living things

2. spirit, tone, feel, feeling, flavor, flavour, look, smellnoun

   the general atmosphere of a place or situation and the effect that it has on people

   "the feel of the city excited him"; "a clergyman improved the tone of the meeting"; "it had the smell of treason"

3. spiritnoun

   a fundamental emotional and activating principle determining one's character

4. spirit, disembodied spiritnoun

   any incorporeal supernatural being that can become visible (or audible) to human beings

5. emotional state, spiritnoun

   the state of a person's emotions (especially with regard to pleasure or dejection)

   "his emotional state depended on her opinion"; "he was in good spirits"; "his spirit rose"

6. intent, purport, spiritnoun

   the intended meaning of a communication

7. liveliness, life, spirit, sprightlinessnoun

   animation and energy in action or expression

   "it was a heavy play and the actors tried in vain to give life to it"

8. heart, spiritverb

   an inclination or tendency of a certain kind

   "he had a change of heart"

9. spirit, spirit up, inspiritverb

   infuse with spirit

   "The company spirited him up"

Wiktionary(1.50 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. spiritnoun

   The undying essence of a human. The soul.

   Etymology: from spiritus. Compare inspire, respire, transpire, all ultimately from Latin spiro. Displaced native Middle English gast (from Old English gast).

2. spiritnoun

   A supernatural being, often but not exclusively without physical form; ghost, fairy, angel.

   Etymology: from spiritus. Compare inspire, respire, transpire, all ultimately from Latin spiro. Displaced native Middle English gast (from Old English gast).

3. spiritnoun

   enthusiasm

   School spirit is at an all-time high.

   Etymology: from spiritus. Compare inspire, respire, transpire, all ultimately from Latin spiro. Displaced native Middle English gast (from Old English gast).

4. spiritnoun

   The manner or style of something.

   In the spirit of forgiveness, we didn't press charges.

   Etymology: from spiritus. Compare inspire, respire, transpire, all ultimately from Latin spiro. Displaced native Middle English gast (from Old English gast).

5. spiritnoun

   A volatile liquid, such as alcohol. The plural form spirits is a generic term for distilled alcoholic beverages.

   Etymology: from spiritus. Compare inspire, respire, transpire, all ultimately from Latin spiro. Displaced native Middle English gast (from Old English gast).

6. spiritnoun

   Energy.

   Etymology: from spiritus. Compare inspire, respire, transpire, all ultimately from Latin spiro. Displaced native Middle English gast (from Old English gast).

7. spiritverb

   To carry off, especially in haste, secrecy, or mystery.

   Etymology: from spiritus. Compare inspire, respire, transpire, all ultimately from Latin spiro. Displaced native Middle English gast (from Old English gast).

8. Spiritnoun

   (Holy) Spirit: in Christian theology, the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, the three aspects of God

   Etymology: from spiritus. Compare inspire, respire, transpire, all ultimately from Latin spiro. Displaced native Middle English gast (from Old English gast).

9. Spiritnoun

   the Devil.

   Etymology: from spiritus. Compare inspire, respire, transpire, all ultimately from Latin spiro. Displaced native Middle English gast (from Old English gast).

10. Spiritnoun

    The name given to a Mars exploration rover launched June 10, 2003. See wikipedia entry

    Etymology: from spiritus. Compare inspire, respire, transpire, all ultimately from Latin spiro. Displaced native Middle English gast (from Old English gast).

Webster Dictionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Spiritnoun

   air set in motion by breathing; breath; hence, sometimes, life itself

2. Spiritnoun

   a rough breathing; an aspirate, as the letter h; also, a mark to denote aspiration; a breathing

3. Spiritnoun

   life, or living substance, considered independently of corporeal existence; an intelligence conceived of apart from any physical organization or embodiment; vital essence, force, or energy, as distinct from matter

4. Spiritnoun

   the intelligent, immaterial and immortal part of man; the soul, in distinction from the body in which it resides; the agent or subject of vital and spiritual functions, whether spiritual or material

5. Spiritnoun

   specifically, a disembodied soul; the human soul after it has left the body

6. Spiritnoun

   any supernatural being, good or bad; an apparition; a specter; a ghost; also, sometimes, a sprite,; a fairy; an elf

7. Spiritnoun

   energy, vivacity, ardor, enthusiasm, courage, etc

8. Spiritnoun

   one who is vivacious or lively; one who evinces great activity or peculiar characteristics of mind or temper; as, a ruling spirit; a schismatic spirit

9. Spiritnoun

   temper or disposition of mind; mental condition or disposition; intellectual or moral state; -- often in the plural; as, to be cheerful, or in good spirits; to be downhearted, or in bad spirits

10. Spiritnoun

    intent; real meaning; -- opposed to the letter, or to formal statement; also, characteristic quality, especially such as is derived from the individual genius or the personal character; as, the spirit of an enterprise, of a document, or the like

11. Spiritnoun

    tenuous, volatile, airy, or vapory substance, possessed of active qualities

12. Spiritnoun

    any liquid produced by distillation; especially, alcohol, the spirits, or spirit, of wine (it having been first distilled from wine): -- often in the plural

13. Spiritnoun

    rum, whisky, brandy, gin, and other distilled liquors having much alcohol, in distinction from wine and malt liquors

14. Spiritnoun

    a solution in alcohol of a volatile principle. Cf. Tincture

15. Spiritnoun

    any one of the four substances, sulphur, sal ammoniac, quicksilver, or arsenic (or, according to some, orpiment)

16. Spiritnoun

    stannic chloride. See under Stannic

17. Spiritverb

    to animate with vigor; to excite; to encourage; to inspirit; as, civil dissensions often spirit the ambition of private men; -- sometimes followed by up

18. Spiritverb

    to convey rapidly and secretly, or mysteriously, as if by the agency of a spirit; to kidnap; -- often with away, or off

Freebase(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Spirit

   The English word spirit has many differing meanings and connotations, most of them relating to a non-corporeal substance contrasted with the material body. The word spirit is often used metaphysically to refer to the consciousness or personality. The notions of a person's spirit and soul often also overlap, as both contrast with body and both are understood as surviving the bodily death in religion and occultism, and "spirit" can also have the sense of "ghost", i.e. a manifestation of the spirit of a deceased person. The term may also refer to any incorporeal or immaterial being, such as demons or deities, in Christianity specifically the Holy Spirit experienced by the disciples at Pentecost.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Spirit

   spir′it, n. vital force: the soul: a ghost: mental disposition: enthusiasm, animation, courage, mettle: real meaning: essence, chief quality: a very lively person: any volatile, inflammable liquid obtained by distillation, as brandy: (pl.) intellectual activity: liveliness: persons with particular qualities of mind: mental excitement: spirituous liquors.—v.t. to inspirit, encourage, cheer: to convey away secretly, to kidnap.—ns. Spir′it-blue, an aniline blue obtained from coal-tar; Spir′it-duck, the buffle-head, from its rapid diving.—adj. Spir′ited, full of spirit, life, or fire: animated.—adv. Spir′itedly.—n. Spir′itedness.—adj. Spir′itful.—n. Spir′iting, the office of a spirit or sprite; Spir′itism=Spiritualism; Spir′itist=Spiritualist; Spir′it-lamp, a lamp in which alcohol is burned, generally used for heating.—adj. Spir′itless, without spirit, cheerfulness, or courage: dejected: dead.—adv. Spir′itlessly.—ns. Spir′itlessness, the state of being spiritless: want of animation or energy; Spir′it-lev′el, in surveying, a cylindrical glass tube, slightly convex on one side, and so nearly filled with alcohol that only a small bubble of air remains inside—from the position of the bubble the amount of variation from perfect levelness is determined.—adj. Spir′itous, of the nature of spirit, pure: ardent, spirituous.—ns. Spir′itousness; Spir′it-rap′per, one to whom spirits convey intelligence by raps or knocks; Spir′it-rap′ping.—adjs. Spir′it-stir′ring, rousing the spirit; Spir′itūal, consisting of spirit: having the nature of a spirit: immaterial: relating to the mind: intellectual: pertaining to the soul: holy: divine: relating to sacred things: not lay or temporal.—n. Spiritualisā′tion.—v.t. Spir′itūalise, to make spiritual: to imbue with spirituality: to refine: to free from sensuality: to give a spiritual meaning to.—ns. Spir′itualiser; Spir′itualism, a being spiritual: the philosophical doctrine that nothing is real but soul or spirit: the doctrine that spirit has a real existence apart from matter: the name applied to a varied series of abnormal phenomena purporting to be for the most part caused by spiritual beings acting upon specially sensitive persons or mediums; Spir′itūalist, one who has a regard only to spiritual things: one who holds the doctrine of spiritualism or spiritism.—adj. Spiritūalist′ic, relating to, or connected with, spiritualism.—n. Spiritūal′ity, state of being spiritual: essence distinct from matter.—adv. Spir′itūally.—ns. Spir′itūal-mind′edness, the state of having holy affections

The Nuttall Encyclopedia(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Spirit

   in philosophy and theology is the Divine mind incarnating itself in the life of a man, and breathing in all he thinks and does, and so is as the life-principle of it; employed also to denote any active dominating and pervading principle of life inspired from any quarter whatever and coming to light in the conduct.

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. spirit

   Energy in expression or action

   The spirit of the day is described so beautifully - unity, love, sharing and supporting.

   Submitted by MaryC on December 21, 2019  

2. spirit

   The accurate and specific qualities and energy within living organisms, animals, human beings, universal beings, our body, brain, heart, soul, mind, memory, subconscious, conscience and consciousness.

   Their spirit is lively, fun and playful as they choose it to be.

   Submitted by MaryC on December 21, 2019  

3. spirit

   The intended meaning of a communication or message.

   The spirit of the message was one of peace, fun, laughter, joy, abundance, love and unity.

   Submitted by MaryC on December 21, 2019  

Suggested Resources(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. spirit

   Song lyrics by spirit -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by spirit on the Lyrics.com website.

Matched Categories

1. • Character
   • Meaning
   • Vital Principle

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'spirit' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #1631

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'spirit' in Written Corpus Frequency: #1554

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'spirit' in Nouns Frequency: #572

How to pronounce spirit?

1. Alex

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

How to say spirit in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of spirit in Chaldean Numerology is: 1

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of spirit in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of spirit in a Sentence

1. Nadine Gordimer:

   Art is on the side of the oppressed. Think before you shudder at the simplistic dictum and its heretical definition of the freedom of art. For if art is freedom of the spirit, how can it exist within the oppressors?

2. Barack Obama:

   I'm hopeful that with a spirit of cooperation and putting America first, we can be in a position where at the end of this year, we can look back and say we're that much better off than we were when we started the year.

3. Henry Miller:

   Living apart and at peace with myself, I came to realize more vividly the meaning of the doctrine of acceptance. To refrain from giving advice, to refrain from meddling in the affairs of others, to refrain, even though the motives be the highest, from tampering with another's way of life - so simple, yet so difficult for an active spirit. Hands off

4. Mason Parrish:

   It gives you an opportunity to take the worst tragedy any parent could experience and find a way to keep that child’s spirit alive in a positive way.

5. Mwanandeke Kindembo:

   My spirit is warmed up with the visions of my destiny; while my heart is burning with the desires to achieve them all. Those thoughts have produced a thick smoke that's clouding my mind from focusing in the present moment.

Images & Illustrations of spirit

Popularity rank by frequency of use