The English word spirit (from Latin spiritus "breath") has many differing meanings and connotations, most of them relating to a non-corporeal substance contrasted with the material body. The word spirit is often used metaphysically to refer to the consciousness or personality. The notions of a person's spirit and soul often also overlap, as both contrast with body and both are understood as surviving the bodily death in religion and occultism, and "spirit" can also have the sense of "ghost", i.e. a manifestation of the spirit of a deceased person.
The term may also refer to any incorporeal or immaterial being, such as demons or deities, in Christianity specifically the Holy Spirit (though with a capital "S") experienced by the disciples at Pentecost.
Read more about Spirit: Etymology, Metaphysical and Metaphorical Uses, Related Concepts in Other Languages
Famous quotes containing the word spirit:
“A Spirit free, to choose for my own share,
What sort of Flesh and Blood I pleas’d to wear,
I’d be a Dog, a Monkey or a Bear,
Or any thing, but that vain Animal,
Who is so proud of being rational.”
—John Wilmot, 2d Earl Of Rochester (1647–1680)
“O thou invisible spirit of wine, if thou hast no name to be known by, let us call thee devil!”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
—Bible: New Testament, 2 Corinthians 3:4-6.