English → Latin
“spiritual” in Latin
animuslife, life force, soul, vitality (that life-giving aspect which animates a thing); conscience, intellect, mind, reason, ingeniuminnate or natural quality, natural character; nature; disposition, temper, inclination; intelligence, natural capacityecclēsiasticusOf or belonging to the Church; ecclesiasticalsacersacred, holy, dedicated (to a divinity), consecrated, hallowed (translating Greek ἱερός); devoted (to a divinity for sacclēricusa priest, clergyman or clergywoman, cleric; a learned man, clerk
The English word spiritual itself goes back to Latin spīritus, through spīrituālis.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
spiritual
That consists of spirit, incorporeal, corpore carens; in quo nihil est mixtum atque concretum, aut quod ex terra natum atque fictum esse videatur, or ab omni concretione mortali segregatus (Vid: Cic., Tusc., 1, 27, 66). ☞ Incorporeus and incorporabilis are not found in classical prose. Pure spiritual existences, animi per se ipsos viventes (Cic., Tusc., 1, 16, 37).
That concerns the mind or spirit, by the genitive animi, ingenii (e.g., spiritual joys, animi voluptates). ☞ Avoid the barbarous spiritualis. Spiritual goods, animi bona: the spiritual welfare of mankind, aeterna animi felicitas: spiritual excellences, animi virtutes: with spiritual eyes, animi oculis.
Not secular, ecclesiasticus (ecclesiastical, Ecclesiastical); sacer (sacred): clericorum (generally plur., of or belonging to the clergy; e.g., ordo clericorum). A spiritual person, clericus: ecclesiasticus.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for spiritual?
- The usual Latin words for “spiritual” are animus, ingenium, ecclēsiasticus; also sacer, clēricus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.