Synonyms: bodily, physical, corporal¹, corporeal, fleshly
These adjectives relate to the body, especially the human body. Bodily and physical are the most common and have the widest range of usage. Though often interchangeable (bodily injury; physical pain), bodily tends to emphasize the inner workings (bodily functions; bodily fluids; bodily rhythms), while physical is more often associated with externalities such as condition, appearance, or activity (physical exercise; physical beauty; physical violence). Corporal and corporeal share a narrower range of association in which the body is often viewed as a material object distinct from the mind or spirit: corporal punishment; corporeal existence. Fleshly can suggest either corpulence or sensuality: "pear-shaped figures ... with their fleshly emphasis on thighs and buttocks" (Natalie Angier). "These videos treated of strong human passions, including the fleshly ones" (Christopher Miller).