What does corpse mean?
A corpse is the dead body of a human being. It is the standard, neutral English word for a human body after death, used in legal, forensic, journalistic, and everyday contexts alike. Unlike 'cadaver', which is favoured in medical and mortuary settings, or 'carcass', which applies mainly to animals, 'corpse' refers specifically to deceased humans and carries a sober, matter-of-fact tone rather than a graphic one. The word appears frequently in phrases such as 'identify a corpse' or 'the corpse was found'. Beyond its primary meaning, an informal chiefly-British sense uses 'corpse' to describe the limp or motionless body of a living person who has fainted or collapsed, and theatrical slang employs 'to corpse' to mean breaking into laughter mid-performance. Derived from Latin 'corpus' via Old French, it shares roots with words such as 'corps', 'corporal', and 'corporeal'. Its homophone 'corps' — a military or organized unit — is a frequent source of confusion despite the entirely different meaning.
nounA corpse is the dead body of a human being. The word is also used, less commonly and informally, to mean a person's body when it is limp or motionless.
- The dead body of a human being (the standard, dominant sense).
- Informally or humorously: the limp or motionless body of a living person, e.g. someone who has fainted, collapsed, or is pretending to be dead (chiefly British).
"The undertaker handled the corpse with quiet reverence."
"Detectives cordoned off the alley where the corpse had been discovered."
"After fainting on stage, he lay there like a corpse until someone fetched water."
Standard plural; note that the plural 'corpses' is distinct in sound and spelling from the unrelated military term 'corps', which itself has no plural inflection.
"Several corpses were recovered from the wreckage by rescue teams."
The silent 'p' in corpse is there for the same reason as in 'receipt' — borrowed straight from Latin through French — but say 'corpse' aloud and most people never notice it's spelled nothing like how you'd expect.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of corpse
The word 'corpse' derives from the Latin 'corpus', meaning 'body', transmitted into Middle English via Old French 'cors' during the medieval period. The modern spelling with the final '-se' reflects later influence from French forms, and the word became firmly established in English by around the fourteenth century. Cognates from the same Latin root include 'corps' (a military or organized body), 'corporal' (relating to the body), 'corporeal' (bodily rather than spiritual), and 'corpuscle' (a small cell or particle).
Related word forms
How corpse is actually used
Corpse is a neutral, somewhat formal term; it carries no strong emotional charge beyond its inherent gravity and is preferred over more graphic alternatives like 'cadaver' in everyday speech. In medical, forensic, and mortuary contexts, 'cadaver' or simply 'body' is often used instead. A humorous informal sense exists in which 'corpse' describes a limp, unresponsive living person — this usage is chiefly British and colloquial. Relatedly, 'to corpse' is theatrical slang meaning to break into uncontrollable laughter during a performance, though this verb form is informal and largely confined to acting circles.
Easily confused with corpse
A 'corps' (pronounced the same) is an organized military unit or group such as the Marine Corps or a diplomatic corps, whereas a 'corpse' is a dead body.
'Carcass' typically refers to the dead body of an animal, while 'corpse' specifically denotes the dead body of a human being.