soul

UK: /ˈsəʊl/ US: /soʊl/ ,(sōl)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

soul /soʊl/   n. 

1. Religion the principle of life, feeling, thought, and action in humans, thought of as something distinct or separate from the body;
   the spiritual part of humans:
   [countable] to have an immortal soul.
2. Religion the spirit of a dead person:
   [countable] to summon the souls of the dead.
3. a person:
   [countable] brave souls.
4. the essential element, quality, or part of something:
   [countable] the soul of the Native American people.
5. an excellent example of some quality:
   [countable* usually: the + ~ + of + object] He was the very soul of tact.
6. the seat or place of human feelings or emotions:
   [countable] She has the soul of an artist.
7. deeply or strongly felt emotion, as is conveyed by an artist:
   [uncountable] The painting has soul.
8. [uncountable] (among African-Americans) shared ethnic awareness and pride.
9. Music and Dance soul music.

adj. [usually: before a noun]

10. of or relating to African-Americans or their culture:
    Soul food is traditional black American food.

soul•less, adj. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

soul (sōl),  n. 

1. Religion the principle of life, feeling, thought, and action in humans, regarded as a distinct entity separate from the body, and commonly held to be separable in existence from the body;
   the spiritual part of humans as distinct from the physical part.
2. Religion 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.
3. Religion the disembodied spirit of a deceased person:
   He feared the soul of the deceased would haunt him.
4. the emotional part of human nature;
   the seat of the feelings or sentiments.
5. a human being;
   person.
6. high-mindedness;
   noble warmth of feeling, spirit or courage, etc.
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.
10. Religion (cap.) [Christian Science.] God;
    the divine source of all identity and individuality.
11. shared ethnic awareness and pride among black people, esp. black Americans.
12. deeply felt emotion, as conveyed or expressed by a performer or artist.
13. Music and Dance See soul music. 

adj. 

14. of, characteristic of, or for black Americans or their culture:
    soul newspapers.

• bef. 900; Middle English; Old English sāwl, sāwol; cognate with Dutch ziel, German Seele, Old Norse sāl, Gothic saiwala

soul′like′, adj. 
Synonyms

• 1. spirit.
• 4. heart.
• 7. essence, core, heart.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

soul / səʊl/ 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
2. the spiritual part of a person, capable of redemption from the power of sin through divine grace
3. the essential part or fundamental nature of anything
4. a person's feelings or moral nature as distinct from other faculties
5. 
   Also called: soul music a type of Black music resulting from the addition of jazz, gospel, and pop elements to the urban blues style
6. (as modifier): a soul singer
7. (modifier) of or relating to Black Americans and their culture: soul brother, soul food
8. nobility of spirit or temperament: a man of great soul and courage
9. an inspiring spirit or leading figure, as of a cause or movement
10. a person regarded as typifying some characteristic or quality: the soul of discretion
11. a person; individual: an honest soul
12. the life and soul ⇒
    See life28
13. upon my soul! ⇒ an exclamation of surprise

Etymology: Old English sāwol; related to Old Frisian sēle, Old Saxon sēola, Old High German sēula soul