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soul mate

noun

Definition of soul mate

1 : a person who is perfectly suited to another in temperament
2 : a person who strongly resembles another in attitudes or beliefs ideological soul mates
Soul Mate and Poetry More Example Sentences Learn More about soul mate

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Soul Mate and Poetry

The earliest known use of soul mate is found in an 1822 letter from English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge to "a Young Lady" in which he writes, "To be happy in Marriage Life, nay … in order not to be miserable, you must have a Soul-mate as well as a House or a Yoke-mate…." The word yokemate is used to refer to someone who is figuratively yoked to another, such as a close associate or companion, or, as Coleridge uses the word, a spouse. Coleridge's advice to the recipient of his letter, then, is that she should not simply settle for a husband, but rather for a person whose character and sensibilities are of a nature suitable to her own. Soul mate is now often used by English speakers to describe those with whom our bonds of affection are marked by a strong sense of like-mindedness and intertwined affinities.

Examples of soul mate in a Sentence

a husband and wife who are perfect soul mates They are ideological soul mates.

Recent Examples on the Web

 Singles may find that their soul mate search is over by next March, when your attractive qualities are in the forefront and exciting changes occur. — Tribune Content Agency, oregonlive.com, "Horoscope for Aug. 28, 2019: Happy birthday Jason Priestley; Aries, broadcast your desires," 28 Aug. 2019 Contrary to popular belief, a twin flame is not your soul mate. — Sophie Saint Thomas, Allure, "Everything You Need to Know About Finding Your Twin Flame," 28 Aug. 2019 Maui was my soul mate, the connection was unlike any other. — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE.com, "Ashley Tisdale Holds Funeral for Late Dog — the 'Love of My Life' — One Day After Canine's Death," 24 June 2019 Beth will be lovingly remembered by her husband and soul mate of 31 years Butch Scott. — courant.com, "Elizabeth A. Scott," 10 July 2019 Stuey and Elly are soul mates, born on the same day. — Washington Post, "KidsPost Summer Book Club: ‘Otherwood’," 25 June 2019 Once Trump became president, McConnell and McGahn — allies who abhor campaign finance limits and have sought to dismantle Washington’s regulatory framework — formed an early partnership to place ideological soul mates on the bench. — Joan Biskupic, Washington Post, "The partisan players transforming the Supreme Court," 21 June 2019 Photo: Signature Portraits Want to meet your soul mate? — Elizabeth Bernstein, WSJ, "Can a Dating Coach Help You Find Your Soul Mate?," 10 Dec. 2018 This season finds Murdock bouncing back following The Defenders’ climactic cave-in, which seemingly doomed him and his on-again, off-again, sociopath soul mate Elektra. — Alex Abad-santos, Vox, "Daredevil season 3 is a return to what made the show so good in season 1," 15 Oct. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'soul mate.' 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 soul mate

1822, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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