1 bodily | Definition of bodily

bodily

adjective
bodi·​ly | \ ˈbä-dÉ™-lÄ“ How to pronounce bodily (audio) \

Definition of bodily

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1 : having a body : physical
2 : of or relating to the body bodily comfort bodily organs

bodily

adverb

Definition of bodily (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : in the flesh
b : in a manner that involves physically moving someone's body The blast lifted him bodily into the air. Jerry Wexler called him a "parasite" and threw him bodily out of his office.— Jack Kroll
2 : as a whole : altogether

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Synonyms & Antonyms for bodily

Synonyms: Adjective

animal, carnal, corporal, corporeal, fleshly, material, physical, somatic

Antonyms: Adjective

nonmaterial, nonphysical

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Examples of bodily in a Sentence

Adjective

The victim suffered serious bodily injury. the old man suffered from a number of bodily ailments

Adverb

The blast lifted him bodily into the air. The house will have to be moved bodily to the new site.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Reyes Gallegos was also charged with assault causing bodily injury in a separate incident that occurred about two weeks before his wife went missing, MySanAntonio reports. Steve Helling, PEOPLE.com, "Mom of 4, Missing for Months After Fight With Husband, Last Seen Entering Bedroom But Never Leaving It," 2 Sep. 2019 Larry Lathan later was cited on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, causing serious bodily injury as well as neglect of a dependent, authorities said. Katherine Rosenberg-douglas, chicagotribune.com, "1-year-old boy injured in rollover crash; Indiana State Police arrest driver on suspicion of drunken driving," 1 Sep. 2019 Vasquez was convicted of assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury, stalking, stalking in violation of a restraining order and violating a restraining order. Thomas Wright, The Mercury News, "Monterey County woman sentenced to 4 life terms for attempting to murder family by arson," 30 Aug. 2019 In that case, he was charged with assault causing bodily injury and released on $1,000 bond. Emilie Eaton, ExpressNews.com, "Husband of missing San Antonio woman seen unloading chainsaw, two shovels in front of home, police say," 29 Aug. 2019 Both are charged with two counts of murder and one count of robbery resulting in serious bodily injury, records indicate. Andrew Clark, Indianapolis Star, "Indianapolis man gets 65 years in 2018 murder, robbery of Papa John's manager," 28 Aug. 2019 He was arrested on suspicion of felony DUI, causing bodily injury. Andy Nguyen, Glendale News-Press, "Driver in Glendale DUI collision had blood-alcohol content of .30%, police say," 26 Aug. 2019 In 2018, there were 628 instances of use of force that resulted in serious bodily injury or death in California, according to data collected by the state attorney general. Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, "Newsom signs ‘Stephon Clark’s Law,’ setting new rules on police use of force," 19 Aug. 2019 Jesus Molina Gamboa is also being held for investigation of vehicular assault, leaving the scene of a crash involving death, and leaving the scene of a crash involving serious bodily injury, the Denver Police Department reported. Kirk Mitchell, The Denver Post, "Suspect in Denver fatal hit-and-run crash arrested in vehicular homicide investigation," 19 Aug. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb

The Cameroon players all went over to their bench, the non-scorer Nchout was in tears and at one point was pulled bodily back into the pitch by her teammates. SI.com, "England Win Over Cameroon Marred by Both Indomitable Lionesses' Antics AND the Reaction to Them," 23 June 2019 Sanda stared at the goop and bodily fluid pool growing around her foot. Andrew Liptak, The Verge, "A starfighter pilot awakens in an unwelcome future in this excerpt from Velocity Weapon," 11 June 2019 All writers want in some way to move their readers; taking claustrophobia in part as one’s subject allows you to move people bodily, physically, viscerally. Tobias Carroll, Longreads, "‘The Underland Is a Deeply Human Realm’: Getting Down with Robert Macfarlane," 20 June 2019 Yet Missett doesn’t include any of the era’s feminist watersheds that were centrally about women claiming bodily autonomy. Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, The Atlantic, "The World That Jazzercise Built," 16 June 2019 Monk and her company’s singing style could be described as bodily, the voice an extension of limbs and emotions. Mark Swed, latimes.com, "Review: ‘Atlas’ needs no words to astonish as the L.A. Phil wraps its centennial season," 12 June 2019 As a conductor, Hannigan throws herself bodily into her interpretations. Mark Swed, latimes.com, "Review: Ojai Music Festival witnesses Barbara Hannigan, Wonder Woman in Wonderland," 10 June 2019 Historically, many such technologies prioritized bodily needs over aesthetics. Joseph F. Coughlin And Luke Yoquinto, WSJ, "Technology for Older People Doesn’t Have to Be Ugly," 14 Oct. 2018 Similar to cleaning bodily fluid stains, try blotting the soiled area with a damp white cotton towel using a mixture of cold water and an enzyme detergent. Gigi Engle, SELF, "7 Tips for Cleaning Up After Sex Gets Messy," 12 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bodily.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of bodily

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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More Definitions for bodily

bodily

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of bodily

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: relating to the body : having to do with a person's or animal's body

bodily

adverb

English Language Learners Definition of bodily (Entry 2 of 2)

: by moving someone's body
: as an entire structure rather than in pieces

bodily

adjective
bodi·​ly | \ ˈbä-dÉ™-lÄ“ How to pronounce bodily (audio) \

Kids Definition of bodily

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: of or relating to the body bodily comfort bodily functions

bodily

adverb

Kids Definition of bodily (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : by the body … we shall … remove you bodily to a safer location.— Robert Lawson, Rabbit Hill
2 : as a whole They moved the house bodily.