Spiritualising

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Turning ideas, experiences, or objects into something with a spiritual meaning or aspect
2. Imbuing an object, thought, or practice with qualities relating to the spirit or soul
3. Transforming ordinary or material things by associating them with spiritual significance

Etymology: "Spiritualising" is the present participle and gerund of "spiritualise", a verb formed from the adjective "spiritual" plus the suffix "-ise", which turns an adjective into a verb meaning "to make or treat as spiritual." The suffix is the familiar one found in words like "modernise" or "familiarise", so the pattern is simple: the adjective names the quality, and the verb names the act of giving something that quality. The base adjective "spiritual" comes from Latin "spiritualis", itself from "spiritus", meaning breath or spirit, a sense that connects physical breathing with the idea of an animating life force. Over time, "spiritual" moved from describing the breath of life toward describing the non-material side of human existence, and "spiritualising" inherits that shift, so that to spiritualise something is to lift it from the merely physical or practical toward a higher, inner meaning.

Synonyms: enlightening, uplifting