Definition

Noun: 1. A supernatural realm: The spirit world is any conceived or imaginary place, realm, or dimension where spiritual, non-physical beings are believed to live, exist, or originate. These beings can include entities such as ghosts, ancestors, angels, demons, fairies, or nature spirits. 2. A domain beyond the physical: It refers to a plane of existence separate from the material, physical world, often considered the source of spiritual power, guidance, or influence.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Many indigenous cultures have shamans who communicate with the spirit world.
  • In her beliefs, dreams were a gateway to the spirit world.
  • The old tale spoke of a hero who traveled to the spirit world to retrieve a lost soul.

Advanced Usage

• "to bridge the spirit world": to create a connection or means of communication between the physical world and the realm of spirits.
  • The medium claimed she could bridge the spirit world to deliver messages.
• "inhabitants of the spirit world": refers collectively to the various beings believed to reside in this non-physical realm.
  • The artist's paintings were inspired by the imagined inhabitants of the spirit world.

Variants and Related Words

• Spiritual realm (n): A very close synonym, often used interchangeably with "spirit world."
• Otherworld (n): A general term for any world beyond the known, physical one, which can include the spirit world.
• Netherworld (n): Often implies a spirit world that is an underworld or a place for the dead.
• Astral plane (n): In some esoteric traditions, a specific level of spiritual reality distinct from the physical world.

Synonyms

• Supernatural realm
• Unseen world
• Ethereal plane

Related Phrases

• World of spirits: A direct descriptive phrase with the same meaning.
• Realm of the ancestors: A specific type of spirit world where deceased forebears reside.
• Beyond the veil: A metaphorical phrase referring to the boundary separating the physical world from the spirit world.

Noun

1. any imaginary place where spiritual beings (demons or fairies or angels or the like) abide
   • science has emptied the spirit world of its former inhabitants