1
a
: in the flesh
b
: in a manner that involves physically moving someone's body
The blast lifted him bodily into the air.
Jerry Wexler called him a "parasite" and threw him bodily out of his office.—
Jack Kroll
Jack Kroll2
: as a whole : altogether
Examples of bodily in a Sentence
Adjective
The victim suffered serious bodily injury.
the old man suffered from a number of bodily ailments
Adverb
The blast lifted him bodily into the air.
The house will have to be moved bodily to the new site.
Recent Examples on the Web
Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 18 May 2026
When such rodent bodily fluids enter the noses, eyes, mouth or open skin wounds of humans, humans can catch the virus.
—Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 16 May 2026
Unfortunately, as of May 6, researchers have not been able to locate the coyote's whereabouts or discover any bodily remains, according to the National Park Service.
—Noe Padilla, USA Today, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for bodily
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Adjective
Person-to-person spread occurs via contact with bodily fluids and symptoms can develop between two and 21 days—though most often eight to 10 days—after an exposure.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 18 May 2026
When such rodent bodily fluids enter the noses, eyes, mouth or open skin wounds of humans, humans can catch the virus.
—Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Adverb
Out back, a small sewage-treatment plant converts bodily waste from two flanking portable toilets into purified water, which is piped into a large tank in which yet another unclothed woman, wearing a scuba mouthpiece, floats for four hours at a time.
—Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 16 May 2026
Unfortunately, as of May 6, researchers have not been able to locate the coyote's whereabouts or discover any bodily remains, according to the National Park Service.
—Noe Padilla, USA Today, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for bodily
Cite this Entry
“Bodily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bodily. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
bodily
adjective
bodi·ly
ˈbäd-ᵊl-ē 
: of or relating to the body
bodily organs
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