corporal

1 of 3

noun (1)

: a noncommissioned officer ranking in the army above a private first class and below a sergeant and in the marine corps above a lance corporal and below a sergeant

corporal

2 of 3

adjective

: of, relating to, or affecting the body

corporal punishment

corporal works of mercy

obsolete : corporeal, physical

corporally

ˈkȯr-p(ə-)rə-lē

adverb

corporal

3 of 3

noun (2)

cor·po·ral ˈkȯr-p(ə-)rəl

: a linen cloth on which the eucharistic elements are placed

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The Various Uses of Corporal

The adjective corporal today usually appears in the phrase corporal punishment, which means "bodily punishment". This used to include such acts as mutilation, branding, imprisonment, and even death. But today execution comes under the separate heading of "capital punishment", which originally involved losing your head (capit- meaning "head"). Milder forms of corporal punishment are used by American parents, and were once common in schools as well. Corporal is occasionally used in other ways; in the traditional church, the "corporal works of mercy" include seven helpful acts such as sheltering the homeless and burying the dead. Corporal as a military rank actually comes from caporal—which has the same root as capital.

Examples of corporal in a Sentence

Adjective started to suffer the corporal ailments that come with advancing age

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Vance left the Marine Corps as a corporal in September 2007. —

Meryl Kornfield, Washington Post, 15 July 2024 Marine Corps from 2015 until June 2020, working as a heavy equipment mechanic and attaining the rank of corporal before he was honorably discharged. —

Detroit Free Press, 29 Feb. 2024

Adjective

In records obtained by PEOPLE, the dancer's charge was for corporal injury to spouse; he was given a $25,000 bail and was released the same day. —

Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 9 Sep. 2024 House Bill 4175 prohibits the use of corporal and physical punishment in all schools. —

Greg Bishop | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 11 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for corporal

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'corporal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

borrowed from Middle French, "lowest noncommissioned officer," alteration (by association with cors, corps "body," Latin corporālis "of the body") of caporal, borrowed from Italian caporale "leader of a small military unit," probably from Medieval Latin capor-, capur-, restructuring of Latin capit- (stem of caput "head") + Italian -ale, noun and adjective suffix, going back to Latin -ālis -al entry 1 — more at head entry 1

Adjective

Middle English corporel, corporal, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French corporel, borrowed from Latin corporālis "of the body, corporeal," from corpor-, corpus "body" + -ālis -al entry 1 — more at midriff

Noun (2)

Middle English corporalle, borrowed from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French corporal, borrowed from Medieval Latin corporāle (probably originally as modifying linteāmen "linen cloth" or a word of similar sense), from neuter of Latin corporālis "of the body, corporeal" (alluding to the belief that the eucharistic elements are the body of Christ) — more at corporal entry 2

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1579, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of corporal was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Corporal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corporal. Accessed 19 Sep. 2024.

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Kids Definition

corporal

1 of 2 adjective

cor·po·ral ˈkȯr-p(ə-)rəl

: of or relating to the body

whipping and other corporal punishments

corporally

-ē

adverb

corporal

2 of 2 noun

: a noncommissioned officer in the army or marines with a rank just below that of sergeant

Medical Definition

corporal

adjective

cor·po·ral ˈkȯr-p(ə-)rəl

: of, relating to, or affecting the body

corporal punishment

Last Updated: 27 Jul 2024 - Updated example sentences

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corporal

noun (1)

adjective

noun (2)

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Synonyms

Examples of corporal in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near corporal

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Medical Definition