spirituality

Noun

spirituality (countable and uncountable, plural spiritualities)

1. The quality or state of being spiritual.
   • , "The Ways of Wisdom are Ways of Pleasantness"
     a pleasure made for the soul, suitable to its spirituality
   • If this light be not spiritual, yet it approacheth nearest unto spirituality.1614, Walter Ralegh [i.e., Walter Raleigh], The Historie of the World […], London: […] William Stansby for Walter Burre, […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=1 to 5)
2. Concern for that which is unseen and intangible, as opposed to physical or mundane.
   • African Indigenous Spirituality
3. Appreciation for religious values.
4. (obsolete) That which belongs to the church, or to a person as an ecclesiastic, or to religion, as distinct from temporalities.
   • During the vacancy of a see, the archbishop is guardian of the spiritualities thereof.1765–1769, William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England, (please specify |book=I to IV), Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Clarendon Press, →OCLC
5. (obsolete) An ecclesiastical body; the whole body of the clergy, as distinct from, or opposed to, the temporality.
   • Five entire subsidies were granted to the king by the spirituality.1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=I to XI)

   Synonyms:

   first estate, spiritualty, third sex, clergy