What does soul mean?
Soul means the inner or spiritual essence of a person, the quality that distinguishes human existence from a merely physical body. It can also refer more broadly to someone's character, emotions, and moral nature. Expressions such as "the soul of the party" use the word metaphorically for the source of energy, warmth, or vitality that a person or place provides. "Soul" may describe something deeply moving or authentic, especially music, food, or an artistic performance. In religious contexts, the term can refer to the part of a person believed to survive death. Although often associated with poetry and spirituality, it is also common in everyday speech, where it conveys the idea of someone's deepest self. The word is particularly suited to discussion of identity, emotion, mortality, artistic expression, and the distinctive character of places, objects, and traditions.
The spiritual or immaterial essence of a person, especially the part of human nature regarded as distinct from the body.
"He wondered whether anything of the soul remained after death."
A frequent subject of religious, philosophical, and poetic discussion.
A person's deepest feelings, character, or moral nature.
"She sang with soul."
Often used in figurative expressions and emotional contexts.
The essential or distinctive quality of a place, thing, institution, or experience.
"The team became the soul of the community."
This is a common figurative use.
A person regarded with affection, pity, or sympathy, especially an unfortunate or deceased person.
"The old house was haunted by the memory of its lost souls."
This use is often literary or informal and may express pathos.
The plural is used for people regarded as spiritual beings and, figuratively, for the inhabitants of a place or community.
"The novel follows the lives of several families and their souls."
The soul survived the body: Old English sāwol gave us both the word for our inner essence and the name of a song's deepest feeling.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does soul come from?
Soul comes from Old English sāwol, meaning "spirit," "life," or "the inner person." The word is inherited from Proto-Germanic and has close cognates in Old Norse sál, German Seele, and Dutch ziel. Its older sense was closely connected with life and animation, while the modern distinction between the soul and the body developed through Christian and broader European ideas of an enduring inner essence.
Related word forms
How soul is actually used
The word is common in poetic, religious, and figurative contexts. In religious usage, it may refer specifically to a person's eternal spiritual essence; in secular usage, it is often metaphorical, as in "the soul of the machine."
Easily confused with soul
Soul means a person's inner or spiritual essence, whereas sole means single, the only one, or a fish's foot.