Soul has several meanings. It can refer to a person’s immaterialnot physical; existing only in thought, feeling, or belief spirit, a deep feeling or emotionalrelated to strong feelings rather than facts or logic quality, a human being, a style of music, or the corethe central, most important part of something quality of something.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /sohl/
Easy pronunciation: SOHL (approximate spelling).
Stress: One syllable, stressed on the whole word.
Used here in the primary sense: the immaterial part of a person; the inner spiritual self.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Soul Meaning
the spiritual part of a person
Part of speech: noun
Definition: the immaterial part of a person; the inner spiritual self
Example: Many people believe the soul lives on after death.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- psyche — A close match in philosophical or spiritual contexts.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Soul
Meaning 2
strong emotional feeling
Part of speech: noun
Definition: deep feeling or emotion
Example: Her singing was full of soul.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- soulfulness — Related in meaning, but usually names the quality of having deep feeling rather than serving as a direct everyday substitute.
Meaning 3
a person
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a human being
Example: Not a soul was in the room.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- individual — Can work in formal contexts, but is less natural than the common everyday words here.
- mortal — Used in a literary or humorous way for a person, not a neutral everyday substitute.
- person — A direct, natural substitute in many contexts.
- somebody — A natural substitute in general speech.
- someone — A natural substitute in general speech.
Meaning 4
a style of music
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a secular form of gospel music that was a major Black musical genre in the 1960s and 1970s
Example: She loves classic soul from the 1970s.
Meaning 5
the main spirit or core of something
Part of speech: noun
Definition: the human embodiment or essential quality of something
Example: He was the soul of generosity.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Soul Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- psyche
a person
- person
- someone
- somebody
deep feeling or emotional quality
- soulfulness
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Using soul to mean a living person in every context; it is often literary or idiomatic, as in 'not a soul.'
- Mixing up the spiritual meaning of soul with the music genre soul.
- Treating soulfulness as if it were a direct everyday synonym for soul in all senses.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the basic meaning of soul?
The most basic meaning is the spiritual or immaterial part of a person, often thought of as the inner self.
What are common synonyms for soul?
For the spiritual sense, psyche is the closest synonym in the supplied data. For the meaning 'person,' common substitutes include person, someone, and somebody.
Does soul always mean a person's spirit?
No. It can also mean deep feeling, a human being in a literary or idiomatic way, a music genre, or the essential quality of something.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.