Spirit Meaning: Here’s What It Means and How To Use It

Spirits come in many forms, and it can be hard to keep up with them all. Are you curious about the meaning of spirit when the term is used in a religious context? What about the meaning of spirit when it refers to a ghost or when you’re ordering a drink at your local bar? The word is unique because it has many different real meanings, despite being the same exact word. 

This is how to identify the definition of spirit based on its context to truly make the best use of the word in your own daily life! 

What is the Definition of the Word Spirit? 

Here are some of the most popular meanings of the word Spirit (ˈspɪrɪt, spir-it) in the English language: 

• The breath of life in a person, the soul, or even something as intangible as courage and strength (human spirit)
• A ghostly or supernatural being (a spirit)
• The innermost self; one’s true personality (the spirit)
• The vital principle that gives life and energy to organisms (the life force within living things)
• A strong belief in specific directions or values (spiritual strength)

While it can be confusing to see all of these different meanings on their own, the word makes a lot more sense when used in the proper context. Here are some of the most popular definitions to understand the song more fully and profoundly! 

Alcoholic Beverages

Spirits are alcohol-based beverages that have gone through distillation to form a fermented liquid. The term “spirits” dates back to the Middle Ages when it referred to an alcoholic solution that had been distilled twice. The word is still used today as an umbrella term for many different kinds of liquor—from vodka and whiskey to rum, tequila, and gin—but also encompasses brandies and liqueurs (both of which are flavored).

Vodka is perhaps the most popular spirit in America; this clear alcoholic liquor can be found on every bar shelf across the country. While some vodkas are made from potatoes or grains such as wheat or rye, others may be flavored with fruits like raspberry pearls (these contain actual pearls!) or pineapple chunks. Vodka’s high alcohol content makes it efficient at extracting flavors from other ingredients while retaining its own flavor profile; this makes it perfect for cocktails like martinis or screwdrivers without introducing any off-tastes into your drink!

Whiskey contains at least 51 percent corn sugar—the rest is malted barley with varying amounts of water added depending on how long they plan on aging their barrels before bottling them up again later down the line. 

Supernatural Spirits

The ghost is the spirit of a dead person, most commonly a human being. It can be their soul, too, but it’s often just the spirit that returns to the living world. Ghosts are often associated with haunting, but not all ghosts do this—they’re more than just spooky specters. They can be evil spirits, good spirits, or somewhere in the middle. In almost all cases, most people see the spirit as the part of a person that sticks around after the physical body dies. 

The Holy Spirit in Christianity

In Christianity, God’s spirit is the Holy Spirit. It’s important to distinguish between them because they are not the same thing. God’s spirit is an aspect of God, as seen in the Bible when Jesus says that “God is Spirit.” The Holy Spirit is God’s agent for revealing who He is and how we can know Him. When you receive the gift of salvation through faith in Christ, you get God’s spirit. 

The Holy Spirit is a spirit of God and the third person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is also considered a being, but He’s not an individual person like Jesus or the Father.

The Bible talks about the Holy Spirit in various ways, such as: “power from heaven,” “Holy Spirit,” “Spirit of Christ,” and even just plain “spirit.” This can be confusing because there are only three people in God—God Himself (Father), Jesus Christ (Son), and the Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost).

Example Sentences using the Word Spirit

One of the best ways to learn how to use words is by seeing them used in real-world contexts. Here are some great examples of the term being used so that you can use it as well! 

• The spirit of the times makes me want to consume a strong alcoholic drink — how fitting. 
• The liveliness in the Dutch corner of town was based on the team spirit of their international soccer team winning the championship. 
• Even if it isn’t written down, the spirit of the law makes it hard for people in the Spirit world to have jobs in the Sprite factory. 
• The Greek and Korean people worked with a spirit of cooperation. 
• Even though the overall emotional state was exhausted, the expedition team was in high spirits. 
• There was a spirit of vivacity inside Mr. Mettle’s classroom the other day. 
• The school spirit team ensured everyone’s frame of mind before the game was as positive as possible. 
• The brave spirits stood up firm against all the dejection they went against. 
• The spirit of the age was based on having a positive attitude and state of mind. 
• The letter of the law addressed the original spirit behind the meanings of the legal bylaws. 
• When the word of the day in my Middle English class was gardyloo, it lifted everyone’s spirits. 
• I used synonyms to help understand the spirit of the word, and it worked. 

Conclusion

If you want to grow in your ability to use the language, that’s the Spirit! Using the resources we have on our blog here at The Word Counter, you can learn more about modern English and use it in the most effective and relevant ways! If you’ve ever had confusion about the various phrases and idioms in the language today, we’ve likely got some answers to your questions! 

If you want to become the best writer, speaker, and communicator you can be, check out our blog right here! 

Sources: 

Spirit Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

Spirit – Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com

Spirit definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary