Definition of 'soul'
Word forms: plural souls
2. singular noun [with poss]
3. countable noun [adjective NOUN]
You can refer to someone as a particular kind of soul when you are describing their character or condition.
6. plural noun [num NOUN]
You can refer to the number of people who live in a particular place as souls.
[literary]
7.
See sell one's soul
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Video: pronunciation of
soul
British English pronunciation
American English pronunciation
Word Frequency
soul in British English
noun
1.
the spirit or immaterial part of human beings, the seat of human personality, intellect, will, and emotions, regarded as an entity that survives the body after death
▶ Related adjective: pneumatic2. Christianity
3.
5.
a. Also called: soul music
b.
(as modifier)
a soul singer
11. See the life and soul
12. See upon my soul!
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
soul-like (ˈsoul-ˌlike) adjective
Word origin
Old English sāwol; related to Old Frisian sēle, Old Saxon sēola, Old High German sēula soul
Word Frequency
Soul in British English
noun
Christian Science another word for God
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency
soul in American English
noun
1.
2.
the moral or emotional nature of a human being
7.
a person
a town of 1,000 souls
8.
9. US
a.
the deep spiritual and emotional quality of African-American culture and heritage
b.
c.
a form of rhythm and blues characterized by a more deliberate beat, emotionally intense vocals, and elements of U.S. gospel music
adjective US
10.
of, for, like, or characteristic of African-Americans
Idioms:
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin
ME soule < OE sawol, akin to Ger seele, Goth saiwala < Gmc *saiwalo, lit., ? that belonging to the sea (< *saiwa- > sea): from the early Gmc belief that souls originate in and return to the sea
Word Frequency
soul in American English
(soul)
noun
1.
2.
the spiritual part of humans regarded in its moral aspect, or as believed to survive death and be subject to happiness or misery in a life to come
arguing the immortality of the soul
4.
the emotional part of human nature; the seat of the feelings or sentiments
5.
a human being; person
7.
the animating principle; the essential element or part of something
8.
the inspirer or moving spirit of some action, movement, etc.
9.
the embodiment of some quality
He was the very soul of tact
13. See soul music
adjective
SYNONYMS 1. spirit. 4. heart. 7. essence, core, heart.14.
of, characteristic of, or for African-Americans or their culture
soul newspapers
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Derived forms
soullike adjective
Word origin
[bef. 900; ME; OE sāwl, sāwol; c. D ziel, G Seele, ON sāl, Goth saiwala]Examples of 'soul' in a sentence
soul
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soul
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In other languages
soul
British English: soul
/səʊl/ NOUN
A person's soul is the spiritual part of them which some people believe continues existing after their body is dead.
They believe that their souls will always be together.
- American English: soul /ˈsoʊl/
- Arabic: نَفْس
- Brazilian Portuguese: alma
- Chinese: 灵魂
- Croatian: duša
- Czech: duše
- Danish: sjæl
- Dutch: ziel
- European Spanish: alma
- Finnish: sielu
- French: âme
- German: Seele
- Greek: ψυχή
- Italian: anima
- Japanese: 魂
- Korean: 영혼
- Norwegian: sjel
- Polish: dusza
- European Portuguese: alma
- Romanian: suflet
- Russian: душа
- Latin American Spanish: alma
- Swedish: själ
- Thai: วิญญาณ
- Turkish: ruh
- Ukrainian: душа
- Vietnamese: linh hồn
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soul
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Definition of soul from the Collins English Dictionary
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