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Meaning & use

carnal

adjective·Advancedformalliterary

Last updated

UK/ˈkɑː.nəl/
US/ˈkɑːr.nəl/

Meanings

  1. adjectivebefore a nounformal

    Connected with the body and its sexual desires rather than with the mind or spirit.

    Grammar: Appears before a noun: carnal desires, carnal pleasures.

    Patterns

    • carnal desire
    • carnal pleasures
    • carnal knowledge

    The novel explores the conflict between carnal desire and duty.

    The preacher warned against carnal pleasures.

    Their relationship was based on carnal attraction alone.

  2. adjectivebefore a nounreligionold-fashioned

    Of the body and worldly life, as opposed to the soul; used mainly in religious writing.

    Grammar: Often contrasted with spiritual.

    Patterns

    • carnal sins
    • carnal nature

    The monk fought against his carnal nature.

    Medieval writers described carnal sins in long lists.

    She rejected the carnal world and turned to prayer.

Common combinations

carnal desire
The poem speaks of carnal desire and guilt.
carnal knowledge
The old law used the phrase carnal knowledge.
carnal pleasures
He gave up carnal pleasures for a life of study.
carnal sin
Lust was considered a carnal sin.
carnal appetite
The play mocks the carnal appetites of the nobility.

Synonyms and how they differ

sensual
Sensual is broader and can describe any pleasure of the senses, while carnal focuses on the body's desires, often with disapproval.
fleshly
Fleshly is a literary and religious word, a close match for carnal.
physical
Physical is plain and neutral, with none of the moral coloring of carnal.
sexual
Sexual is a direct, neutral word, while carnal sounds formal or biblical.

Opposites

spiritualchaste

Word family

carnally adverb
in a bodily or sexual way
carnality noun
the quality of being concerned with bodily desires
carnage noun
the killing of many people
carnivore noun
an animal that eats meat
incarnate adjective
in bodily form

Commonly confused: carnal or carnival? carnal or charnel?

carnal vs carnival

A carnival is a festival with parades and games, and it only shares the Latin root for flesh.

carnal vs charnel

Charnel refers to a place for the dead, as in a charnel house.

Practice

In religious writing, the opposite of carnal is most often:

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