spiritualize

S1P3I1R1I1T1U1A1L1I1Z10E1

verb

To make spiritual; to invoke spirituality.

Similar
spiritualisetransfigureglorify
Opposite
literalize
OriginEnglish spiritual ← Middle English spiritual ← Old French spiritue →
Scrabble 23
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Meanings

verbspiritualize (third-person singular simple present spiritualizes, present participle spiritualizing, simple past and past participle spiritualized)

present singular third person spiritualizes · participle present spiritualizing · participle past spiritualized · past spiritualized · alternative spiritualise

  1. To make spiritual; to invoke spirituality.
  2. To refine intellectually or morally; to purify from the corrupting influence of the world; to give a spiritual character or tendency to.

    This seen in the clear air, and the whole spiritualized by endless recollections, fills the eye and the heart more forcibly than I can find words to say.

    1851, Thomas Carlyle, The Life of John Sterling, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC
  3. To give a spiritual meaning to; to take in a spiritual sense; opposed to literalize.
  4. obsoletechemistryTo extract spirit.
  5. obsoletechemistryTo convert into, or impregnate with, spirit.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbgive a spiritual meaning to; read in a spiritual sense

Similar
spiritualise
Opposite
literalize
Broader
interpretconstruesee

verbelevate or idealize, in allusion to Christ's transfiguration

Similar
transfigureglorify
Broader
changealtermodify

verbpurify from the corrupting influences of the world

Similar
spiritualise
Broader
purifypurgesanctify
Also see
glorifytransfigure

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*(s)peys-der.?
  2. Latinspīrō
  3. Latinspīritus
  4. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  5. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
  6. Late Latinspīrituālis
  7. Old Frenchspiritue
  8. Middle Englishspiritual
  9. Englishspiritual
  10. Englishspiritualize

From spiritual + -ize.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Danish åndeliggøre
  • åndeliggøreto make spiritual
Finnish henkistää, hengellistää
  • henkistääto make spiritual
  • hengellistääto make spiritual
  • henkistääto refine intellectually or morally
  • henkistääto give spiritual meaning to
  • hengellistääto give spiritual meaning to
French spiritualiser
  • spiritualiserto make spiritual
Portuguese espiritualizar, espiritualizar
  • espiritualizarto make spiritual
  • espiritualizarto refine intellectually or morally
  • espiritualizarto give spiritual meaning to
Cite this entry
APA

spiritualize. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spiritualize

MLA

“spiritualize.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spiritualize. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “spiritualize,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spiritualize.

Source: spiritualize on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.