Bodily

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈbɑdɪli/

Definitions

1. Relating to or affecting the physical structure or functions of a living organism rather than the mind or spirit
2. Pertaining to the physical aspect of a living being as opposed to its mental or spiritual components
3. Concerning the material form and physiological processes of an organism distinct from its cognitive or emotional elements

Etymology: "Bodily" is about as transparent as English compounds get: it is "body" with the adjective-forming suffix "-ly" attached, and the result means simply "of or relating to the body." The suffix is the older and more interesting half of the story. In Old English, "-lic" (the ancestor of "-ly") built adjectives from nouns, and it is the same element that gives us "godly" and "manly," so "bodily" follows a pattern English speakers have used for centuries. The noun "body" itself came into English from Old English, where it was "bodig," and that is why the word has a native English feel rather than a Latin or French one. Many learners are surprised that "bodily" sounds so plain because it is built from ordinary, everyday materials. Its use has also split in two directions. "Bodily" can mean physical as opposed to mental, as in "bodily harm," or it can describe something that occupies a whole body, as in "bodily fluids" or the older phrase "in bodily form."

Synonyms: physical, corporeal, somatic, material, tangible

Antonyms: spiritual, immaterial, metaphysical, intangible, psychological