bodily

From Middle English bodily; equivalent to body +‎ -ly.

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈbɑdɪli/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈbɒdɪli/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: bod‧i‧ly
• Homophone: bawdily (cot–caught merger)

bodily (comparative more bodily, superlative most bodily)

1. Of, relating to, or concerning the body.

   His bodily deficiencies were a heavy burden to him.

2. Having a body or material form; physical; corporeal.
   • 1709 May 25 (Gregorian calendar), Isaac Bickerstaff [et al., pseudonyms; Richard Steele et al.], “Saturday, May 14, 1709”, in The Tatler, number 15; republished in [Richard Steele], editor, The Tatler, , London stereotype edition, volume I, London: I. Walker and Co.;  , 1822, →OCLC:

     You are a mere spirit, and have no knowledge of the bodily part of us.

     The spelling has been modernized.

3. Real; actual; put into execution.
   • c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     Be brought to bodily act.

• corporal
• corporeal

bodily (not comparable)

1. In bodily form; physically, corporally.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible,  (King James Version), London: Robert Barker, , →OCLC, Colossians 2:9:

     For in him dwelleth all the fulneſſe of the Godhead bodily.

   • 1883, Robert Louis Stevenson, “The Voyage”, in Treasure Island‎^Wikisource:

     In I got bodily into the apple barrel, and found there was scarce an apple left; but sitting down there in the dark, what with the sound of the waters and the rocking movement of the ship, I had either fallen asleep or was on the point of doing so when a heavy man sat down with rather a clash close by.

2. Pertaining to the whole body or mass; wholly.
   • 1859, Charles Dickens, The Haunted House:

     The papering of one side of the room had dropped down bodily, with fragments of plaster adhering to it, and almost blocked up the door.

   • 1958, Jacob Viner, The Long View and the Short, page 112:

     It is true that in adopting the short view many of the younger economists have not merely taken over the lay notions bodily.

3. Forcefully, vigorously.

   He was thrown bodily out of the house.

The adverb is usually placed after the verb it modifies: present bodily is more common than bodily present.

• bodacious