spirit

From Middle English spirit, from Old French espirit (“spirit”), from Latin spīritus (“breath; spirit”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)peys- (“to blow, breathe”). Compare inspire, respire, transpire, all ultimately from Latin spīrō (“I breathe, blow, respire”). In this sense, displaced native Middle English gast (from Old English gāst), whence modern English ghost. Doublet of esprit, spiritus, and sprite.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈspɪɹɪt/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈspɪɹɪt/, /ˈspiɹɪt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪɹɪt
• Hyphenation: spir‧it

spirit (countable and uncountable, plural spirits)

1. The soul of a person or other creature.
   • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter VII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

     […] St. Bede's at this period of its history was perhaps the poorest and most miserable parish in the East End of London. Close-packed, crushed by the buttressed height of the railway viaduct, rendered airless by huge walls of factories, it at once banished lively interest from a stranger's mind and left only a dull oppression of the spirit.

   • 1967, MacCormack, Woman Times Seven:

     […] a triumph of the spirit over the flesh.

   • 2004, George Carlin, “THAT'S THE SPIRIT”, in When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?‎, New York: Hyperion Books, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page 20:

     I don't understand these people who call themselves spiritual advisors. Franklin Graham, the unfortunate son of Billy Graham, is George Bush's spiritual advisor. Bill Clinton had Jesse Jackson.
     Here's the part I don't understand: How can someone else advise you on your spirit? Isn't spirit an intensely personal, internal thing? Doesn't it, by its very nature, elude definition, much less analysis? What kind of advice could some drone who has devoted his life to the self-deception of religion possibly give you about your spirit? It sounds like a hustle to me.

   • 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Turians: Religion Codex entry:

     Turians believe that groups and areas have "spirits" that transcend the individual. For example, a military unit would be considered to have a literal spirit that embodies the honor and courage it has displayed. A city's spirit reflects the accomplishments and industry of its residents. An ancient tree's spirit reflects the beauty and tranquility of the area it grows within.
     These spirits are neither good nor evil, nor are they appealed to for intercession. Turians do not believe spirits can affect the world, but spirits can inspire the living. Prayers and rituals allow an individual to converse with a spirit for guidance or inspiration. For example a turian who finds his loyalty tested may appeal to the spirit of his unit, hoping to reconnect with the pride and honor of the group. A turian who wishes to create a work of art may attempt to connect with the spirit of a beautiful location.

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

   A wandering spirit haunts the island.

   • 1693, John Locke, Some Thoughts Concerning Education:

     Whilst young, preserve his tender mind from all impressions and notions of spirits and goblins […] in the dark.

   • 2009, Alexander Perls (lyrics and music), “With a Spirit” (track 10), in 009 Sound System, performed by Alexander Perls:

     Walk slowly with a spirit by your side.

3. Enthusiasm.
   • 2011 October 1, Phil Dawkes, “Sunderland 2-2 West Brom”, in BBC Sport:

     The result may not quite give the Wearsiders a sweet ending to what has been a sour week, following allegations of sexual assault and drug possession against defender Titus Bramble, but it does at least demonstrate that their spirit remains strong in the face of adversity.

   School spirit is at an all-time high.

4. The manner or style of something.
   • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter IV, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC, page 46:

     No matter how early I came down, I would find him on the veranda, smoking cigarettes, or […] . And at last I began to realize in my harassed soul that all elusion was futile, and to take such holidays as I could get, when he was off with a girl, in a spirit of thankfulness.

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

   • 1709, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Criticism, London: […] W. Lewis […], published 1711, →OCLC:

     A perfect judge will read each work of wit / With the same spirit that its author writ.

5. Intent; real meaning; opposed to the letter, or formal statement.

   the spirit of an enterprise, or of a document

6. (usually in the plural) A volatile liquid, such as alcohol. The plural form spirits is a generic term for distilled alcoholic beverages.
7. Energy; ardour.
   • 1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC:

     "Write it then, quickly," replied Bede; and summoning all his spirits together, like the last blaze of a candle going out, he indited it, and expired.

8. One who is vivacious or lively; one who evinces great activity or peculiar characteristics of mind or temper.

   a ruling spirit; a schismatic spirit

   • 1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:

     Such spirits as he desired to please, such would I choose for my judges.

9. (often in the plural) Temper or disposition of mind; mental condition or disposition; intellectual or moral state.

   to be cheerful, or in good spirits; to be down-hearted, or in bad spirits

   • 1667, Robert South, Sermon VII:

     God has […] made a spirit of building succeed a spirit of pulling down.

10. (obsolete) Air set in motion by breathing; breath; hence, sometimes, life itself.
    • 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Canto VII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 36:

      For else he sure had left not one aliue,>br>But all in his reuenge of spirite would depriue.

    • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto XII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 51:

      But the milde air with season moderate / Gently attempred, and disposd so well, / That still it breathed forth sweet spirit & holesome smell.

11. (obsolete) A rough breathing; an aspirate, such as the letter h; also, a mark denoting aspiration.
    • 1640, Ben Jonson, The English Grammar:

      Be it a letter or spirit, we have great use of it.

12. (alchemy, obsolete) Any of the four substances: sulphur, sal ammoniac, quicksilver, and arsenic (or, according to some, orpiment).
13. (dyeing) Stannic chloride.

Pages starting with “spirit”.

• ghost
• soul

spirit (third-person singular simple present spirits, present participle spiriting, simple past and past participle spirited)

1. To carry off, especially in haste, secrecy, or mystery.
   • 2009 February 8, Dave Kehr, “Buñuel at His Wildest, in Circulation Again”, in New York Times‎:

     God does not make an appearance, but the Devil (Ms. Pinal) emphatically does: first in the guise of a schoolgirl who tries to lure Simon down with the sight of her shapely legs; then as a bearded but blatantly female Jesus carrying a lamb; and finally as a stylishly coiffed woman who succeeds in spiriting Simon off, by means of a jet, to a Manhattan discotheque — Buñuel’s persuasive idea of hell.

   • 1835, Nathaniel Parker Willis, Pencillings by the Way:

     I felt as if I had been spirited into some castle of felicity.

2. Sometimes followed by up: to animate with vigour; to excite; to encourage; to inspirit.

   Civil dissensions often spirit the ambition of private men.

   • 1714 February, [Jonathan Swift], The Publick Spirit of the Whigs: Set forth in Their Generous Encouragement of the Author of the Crisis: […], 3rd edition, London: […] [John Barber] for John Morphew, […], published 1714, →OCLC, page 39:

     [H]e left behind many Officers and private Men, who now ſpirit-up and aſſist thoſe obſtinate People to continue in their Rebellion.

• spirit away
• spirit off

• Tripis, pitris

From Dutch spirit, from English spirit, from Middle English spirit, from Old French espirit (“spirit”), from Latin spīritus (“breath; spirit”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)peys- (“to blow, breathe”). Doublet of spiritus.

• IPA^(key): [ˈspirɪt̪̚]
• Hyphenation: spi‧rit

spirit (plural spirit-spirit, first-person possessive spiritku, second-person possessive spiritmu, third-person possessive spiritnya)

1. spirit:
   1. the soul of a person or other creature. What moves through experience into self-definition as souls purpose.

      Synonyms: arwah, atma, jiwa, hidup, kehidupan, nyawa, roh, sukma

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

      Synonyms: arwah, roh

   3. (figurative) enthusiasm, energy; ardour.

      Synonyms: roh, semangat, spirit

• “spirit” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Borrowed from Latin spiritus. Compare also spiriduș.

• IPA^(key): /ˈspirit/

spirit n (plural spirite)

1. spirit, ghost

   Synonym: duh

2. essence, psyche
3. wit, genius
4. manner, style

• spiriduș

• nălucă, stafie, spectru, apariție, fantomă

From English spirit.

spirit

1. spirit (physical form of God)
   • 1989, Buk Baibel long Tok Pisin, Port Moresby: Bible Society of Papua New Guinea, Jenesis 1:2:

     Tudak i karamapim bikpela wara na spirit bilong God i go i kam antap long en.

     →New International Version translation