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adj B2 Upper-Intermediate Uncommon

corporal

KAWP-ruhl
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Corporal (adj) means relating to the physical body rather than the mind or spirit. Example: “Corporal punishment involves physically striking someone as a penalty.”

adj
1
Relating to the physical body rather than the mind or spirit.
"Corporal punishment involves physically striking someone as a penalty."
"The soldiers endured great corporal hardship on the march."
noun
1
A junior military rank, above private and below sergeant.
"She was promoted to corporal after two years of service."
"The corporal shouted orders at the new recruits as they lined up."
"My grandfather retired from the army as a corporal and never forgot his training."

How to use corporal

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishAs an adjective, relating to the body; as a noun, a low-ranking soldier or officer.

Common mistake

Don't confuse with "corporeal" (having a physical body, more general/philosophical) or "corporal" the military rank — same spelling, different senses depending on context.

Easily confused with
corporeal →
Common pairings
corporal punishment corporal in the army
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Word forms

Plural
corporals
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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

_____ punishment involves physically striking someone as a penalty.

Etymology

From Old French corporal, from Latin corporalis, "of the body" — from corpus, "body". The military rank likely developed via Italian caporale, "head of a squad," which got reshaped in English to look like the "body" word.

Origin: Latin

Synonyms

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physical fleshly somatic embodied bodied corporate incarnate bodily corporeal bombardier

Antonyms

spiritual

Related words

material holy physical religious animal mental joint corporation

Rhymes for corporal

oral coral moral amoral floral choral immoral mayoral femoral pastoral temporal doctoral
See all rhymes for corporal →

Frequently asked questions

What does “corporal” mean?
The word “corporal” means relating to the physical body rather than the mind or spirit. In plain terms, as an adjective, relating to the body; as a noun, a low-ranking soldier or officer.
How do you pronounce “corporal”?
“Corporal” is pronounced KAWP-ruhl (/ˈkoɹ.pɚ.əl/ in IPA).
How do you use “corporal” in a sentence?
Here is “corporal” used in a sentence: “Corporal punishment involves physically striking someone as a penalty.”
What is another word for “corporal”?
Words with a similar meaning to “corporal” include bodily, corporeal and bombardier.
What part of speech is “corporal”?
Depending on how it is used, “corporal” can be an adjective and a noun.
Where does the word “corporal” come from?
The word “corporal” comes from Latin.
Is “corporal” a common word?
“Corporal” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.
How many meanings does “corporal” have?
“Corporal” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: relating to the physical body rather than the mind or spirit.
What is the difference between "corporal" and "corporeal"?
"Corporal" and "corporeal" both relate to the physical body, but "corporal" is more commonly used in fixed phrases like "corporal punishment," while "corporeal" is the more general philosophical or literary term for anything having a physical, bodily nature. As a noun, "corporal" also refers to a specific junior military rank, a sense "corporeal" does not share.
What rank is a corporal compared to a sergeant?
A corporal is a junior military rank that sits above a private but below a sergeant. It typically denotes a low-level leadership position, often in charge of a small group of soldiers.
Is "corporal punishment" related to the military rank of corporal?
No, the two uses are unrelated in meaning despite sharing the same word. "Corporal" in "corporal punishment" uses the adjective sense meaning relating to the physical body, describing punishment inflicted on the body, while the military rank is a separate noun sense.

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