Spirit vs. Ghost — What's the Difference?
By Urooj Arif & Fiza Rafique — Updated on April 4, 2024
A spirit is a broad term for any non-physical entity, often seen as universal life force, while a ghost is specifically the soul of a deceased person believed to be visible to the living.
Difference Between Spirit and Ghost
Table of Contents
ADVERTISEMENT
Key Differences
Spirits encompass a wide range of non-physical beings and concepts, from the essence of life itself to entities in various religious and cultural beliefs. They can be benevolent, malevolent, or neutral, and are not limited to human souls. Ghosts, on the other hand, specifically refer to the souls or spirits of deceased humans that are thought to exist among the living, often associated with haunting or visiting specific locations.
While spirits can be involved in various aspects of the cosmos, including nature, celestial entities, or even concepts of guidance and inspiration, ghosts are typically tied to human experiences, emotions, and stories. Ghosts are often believed to remain due to unfinished business or strong emotional ties to the physical world, whereas spirits might not have any direct human connection or may serve broader spiritual or cosmic roles.
The concept of a spirit is more encompassing and can be found in numerous philosophical, religious, and metaphysical contexts. It might refer to a person's inner essence, universal energy, or entities within nature. Ghosts are a more focused subset within the broader category of spirits, with their lore deeply rooted in cultural stories, folklore, and personal anecdotes about encounters with the deceased.
Both spirits and ghosts play significant roles in various belief systems and narratives worldwide. However, their purposes, meanings, and cultural interpretations can differ greatly. Spirits are often invoked for guidance, protection, or wisdom, reflecting a wide array of roles in human spirituality. Ghosts, meanwhile, are frequently associated with specific tales or lessons, serving as reminders of the past or manifestations of unresolved issues.
In many traditions, the interaction with spirits can be a part of regular spiritual practice or religious rituals, emphasizing respect, offerings, or communication for various reasons. Interactions with ghosts, however, are often characterized by attempts to resolve the ghosts' unfinished business, understand messages from the past, or, in some narratives, assist them in moving on to the afterlife.
ADVERTISEMENT
Comparison Chart
Definition
A general term for non-physical entities, including the essence of life.
Specifically, the soul or spirit of a deceased person.
Scope
Broad, encompassing various entities and concepts.
Narrow, focused on deceased humans.
Cultural Role
Varied, can represent guidance, nature, or universal energy.
Often associated with haunting, unresolved issues, or messages.
Connection
May or may not be related to human beings.
Directly related to human experiences and emotions.
Interactions
Can be part of spiritual practices and rituals.
Often focused on resolution of the ghost’s reasons for lingering.
Compare with Definitions
Spirit
Varied manifestations.
Spirits can manifest as ancestors, deities, or natural forces.
Ghost
Soul of a deceased person.
The castle is said to be haunted by the ghost of its former lord.
Spirit
Universal life force.
Many cultures believe in a spirit that connects all living things.
Ghost
Remains due to unfinished business.
Legend says the ghost won’t rest until her murder is solved.
Spirit
Found in many belief systems.
His faith speaks of spirits that influence our daily lives.
Ghost
Rooted in folklore and stories.
Every culture has its own tales of ghosts and the afterlife.
Spirit
Part of spiritual practice.
They performed rituals to honor the spirits of the land.
Ghost
Subject of paranormal investigation.
Paranormal investigators use various tools to detect the presence of ghosts.
Spirit
Guidance and protection.
She sought the guidance of protective spirits before embarking on her journey.
Ghost
Associated with hauntings.
Ghost hunters seek to communicate with spirits lingering in old buildings.
Spirit
The non-physical part of a person which is the seat of emotions and character; the soul
We seek a harmony between body and spirit
Ghost
Act as ghostwriter of (a work)
His memoirs were smoothly ghosted by a journalist
Spirit
The prevailing or typical quality, mood, or attitude of a person, group, or period of time
I hope the team will build on this spirit of confidence
The university is a symbol of the nation's egalitarian spirit
Ghost
Glide smoothly and effortlessly
They ghosted up the river
Spirit
Strong distilled alcoholic drink such as brandy, whisky, gin, or rum.
Ghost
End a personal relationship with (someone) by suddenly and without explanation withdrawing from all communication
I didn't want to ghost her, so we ended up having ‘the talk’ and it was horrible
People who ghost are primarily focused on avoiding their own emotional discomfort
Being ghosted is one of the toughest ways to be dumped
Spirit
A highly refined substance or fluid thought to govern vital phenomena.
Ghost
A person's spirit or soul
Was sick for months and finally gave up the ghost.
Spirit
Convey rapidly and secretly
Stolen cows were spirited away some distance to prevent detection
Ghost
A returning or haunting memory or image.
Spirit
A force or principle believed to animate living beings.
Ghost
A slight or faint trace
Just a ghost of a smile.
Spirit
Spirit The Holy Spirit.
Ghost
The tiniest bit
Not a ghost of a chance.
Spirit
An angel or demon.
Ghost
An unwanted image on a television or radar screen caused by reflected waves.
Spirit
A being inhabiting or embodying a particular place, object, or natural phenomenon.
Ghost
A displaced image in a photograph caused by the optical system of the camera.
Spirit
A fairy or sprite.
Ghost
An unwanted spectral line caused by imperfections in a diffraction grating.
Spirit
The part of a human associated with the mind, will, and feelings
Though unable to join us today, they are with us in spirit.
Ghost
A displaced image in a mirror caused by reflection from the front of the glass.
Spirit
The essential nature of a person or group.
Ghost
(Informal) A ghostwriter.
Spirit
A person as characterized by a stated quality
He is a proud spirit.
Ghost
A nonexistent publication listed in bibliographies.
Spirit
An inclination or tendency of a specified kind
Her actions show a generous spirit.
Ghost
A fictitious employee or business.
Spirit
A pervasive or essential attitude, quality, or principle
The spirit of 1776.
Ghost
(Informal) To engage in ghostwriting.
Spirit
An attitude marked by enthusiasm, energy, or courage
Sang with spirit.
Troops that fought with spirit.
Ghost
To move noiselessly like a ghost
“Two young deer ghosted out of the woods” (Nancy M. Debevoise).
Spirit
Spirits A mood or emotional state
The guests were in high spirits. His sour spirits put a damper on the gathering.
Ghost
To haunt.
Spirit
Strong loyalty or dedication
Team spirit.
Ghost
(Informal) To ghostwrite
Was hired to ghost the memoirs of a famous executive.
Spirit
The actual though unstated sense or significance of something
The spirit of the law.
Ghost
The spirit; the human soul.
Spirit
Often spirits (used with a sing. verb) An alcohol solution of an essential or volatile substance.
Ghost
Any faint shadowy semblance; an unsubstantial image.
Not a ghost of a chance
The ghost of an idea
Spirit
Spirits An alcoholic beverage, especially distilled liquor.
Ghost
A false image formed in a telescope, camera, or other optical device by reflection from the surfaces of one or more lenses.
Spirit
To carry off mysteriously or secretly
The documents had been spirited away.
Ghost
An unwanted image similar to and overlapping or adjacent to the main one on a television screen, caused by the transmitted image being received both directly and via reflection.
Spirit
To impart courage, animation, or determination to; inspirit.
Ghost
A ghostwriter.
Spirit
The soul of a person or other creature.
Ghost
A nonexistent person invented to obtain some fraudulent benefit.
Spirit
A supernatural being, often but not exclusively without physical form; ghost, fairy, angel.
A wandering spirit haunts the island.
Ghost
(Internet) An unresponsive user on IRC, resulting from the user's client disconnecting without notifying the server.
Spirit
Enthusiasm.
School spirit is at an all-time high.
Ghost
(computing) An image of a file or hard disk.
Spirit
The manner or style of something.
In the spirit of forgiveness, we didn't press charges.
Ghost
(theatre) An understudy.
Spirit
A volatile liquid, such as alcohol. The plural form spirits is a generic term for distilled alcoholic beverages.
Ghost
(espionage) A covert (and deniable) agent.
Spirit
Energy; ardour.
Ghost
The faint image that remains after an attempt to remove graffiti.
Spirit
One who is vivacious or lively; one who evinces great activity or peculiar characteristics of mind or temper.
A ruling spirit; a schismatic spirit
Ghost
(video games) An opponent in a racing game that follows a previously recorded route, allowing players to compete against previous best times.
Spirit
Temper or disposition of mind; mental condition or disposition; intellectual or moral state.
To be cheerful, or in good spirits; to be down-hearted, or in bad spirits
Ghost
Someone whose identity cannot be established because there are no records of him/her.
Spirit
(obsolete) Air set in motion by breathing; breath; hence, sometimes, life itself.
Ghost
(quantum physics) An unphysical state in a gauge theory.
Spirit
(obsolete) A rough breathing; an aspirate, such as the letter h; also, a mark denoting aspiration.
Ghost
A formerly nonexistent character that was at some point mistakenly encoded into a character set standard, which might have since become used opportunistically for some genuine purpose.
Spirit
Intent; real meaning; opposed to the letter, or formal statement.
The spirit of an enterprise, or of a document
Ghost
(countable) ghost pepper
Spirit
Any of the four substances: sulphur, sal ammoniac, quicksilver, and arsenic (or, according to some, orpiment).
Ghost
(uncountable) A game in which players take turns to add a letter to a possible word, trying not to complete a word.
Spirit
(dyeing) Stannic chloride.
Ghost
White or pale.
Ghost slug
Spirit
To carry off, especially in haste, secrecy, or mystery.
Ghost
Transparent or translucent.
Ghost ant
Ghost catfish
Spirit
Sometimes followed by up: to animate with vigour; to excite; to encourage; to inspirit.
Civil dissensions often spirit the ambition of private men.
Ghost
(attributive) Abandoned.
Ghost town
Ghost ship
Spirit
Air set in motion by breathing; breath; hence, sometimes, life itself.
The mild air, with season moderate,Gently attempered, and disposed eo well,That still it breathed foorth sweet spirit.
Ghost
(attributive) Remnant; the remains of a(n).
Ghost cell
Ghost crater
Ghost image
Spirit
A rough breathing; an aspirate, as the letter h; also, a mark to denote aspiration; a breathing.
Be it a letter or spirit, we have great use for it.
Ghost
(attributive) Perceived or listed but not real.
Ghost cellphone vibration
Ghost pain
Ghost island
Ghost voter
Spirit
Life, or living substance, considered independently of corporeal existence; an intelligence conceived of apart from any physical organization or embodiment; vital essence, force, or energy, as distinct from matter.
Ghost
(attributive) Of cryptid, supernatural or extraterrestrial nature.
Ghost rocket
Ghost deer
Spirit
Specifically, a disembodied soul; the human soul after it has left the body.
Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
Ye gentle spirits far away,With whom we shared the cup of grace.
Ghost
(attributive) Substitute.
Ghost writer
Ghost singer
Spirit
Any supernatural being, good or bad; an apparition; a specter; a ghost; also, sometimes, a sprite,; a fairy; an elf.
Whilst young, preserve his tender mind from all impressions of spirits and goblins in the dark.
Ghost
To haunt; to appear to in the form of an apparition.
Spirit
Energy, vivacity, ardor, enthusiasm, courage, etc.
"Write it then, quickly," replied Bede; and summoning all his spirits together, like the last blaze of a candle going out, he indited it, and expired.
Ghost
(obsolete) To die; to expire.
Spirit
One who is vivacious or lively; one who evinces great activity or peculiar characteristics of mind or temper; as, a ruling spirit; a schismatic spirit.
Such spirits as he desired to please, such would I choose for my judges.
Ghost
(literary) To imbue with a ghost-like hue or effect.
Spirit
Temper or disposition of mind; mental condition or disposition; intellectual or moral state; - often in the plural; as, to be cheerful, or in good spirits; to be downhearted, or in bad spirits.
God has . . . made a spirit of building succeed a spirit of pulling down.
A perfect judge will read each work of witWith the same spirit that its author writ.
Ghost
(ambitransitive) To ghostwrite.
Spirit
Intent; real meaning; - opposed to the letter, or to formal statement; also, characteristic quality, especially such as is derived from the individual genius or the personal character; as, the spirit of an enterprise, of a document, or the like.
Ghost
(nautical) To sail seemingly without wind.
Spirit
Tenuous, volatile, airy, or vapory substance, possessed of active qualities.
All bodies have spirits . . . within them.
Ghost
(computing) To copy a file or hard drive image.
Spirit
Any liquid produced by distillation; especially, alcohol, the spirits, or spirit, of wine (it having been first distilled from wine): - often in the plural.
Ghost
(GUI) To gray out (a visual item) to indicate that it is unavailable.
Spirit
Rum, whisky, brandy, gin, and other distilled liquors having much alcohol, in distinction from wine and malt liquors.
Ghost
To forcibly disconnect an IRC user who is using one's reserved nickname.
Spirit
A solution in alcohol of a volatile principle. Cf. Tincture.
Ghost
(intransitive) To appear or move without warning, quickly and quietly; to slip.
Spirit
Any one of the four substances, sulphur, sal ammoniac, quicksilver, or arsenic (or, according to some, orpiment).
The four spirits and the bodies seven.
Ghost
(transitive) To transfer (a prisoner) to another prison without the prior knowledge of other inmates.
Spirit
Stannic chloride. See under Stannic.
Ghost
(slang) To kill.
Spirit
To animate with vigor; to excite; to encourage; to inspirit; as, civil dissensions often spirit the ambition of private men; - sometimes followed by up.
Many officers and private men spirit up and assist those obstinate people to continue in their rebellion.
Ghost
To perform an act of ghosting: to break up with someone without warning or explanation; to ignore someone, especially on social media.
Spirit
To convey rapidly and secretly, or mysteriously, as if by the agency of a spirit; to kidnap; - often with away, or off.
The ministry had him spirited away, and carried abroad as a dangerous person.
I felt as if I had been spirited into some castle of antiquity.
Ghost
(film) To provide the speaking or singing voice for another actor, who is lip-syncing.
Spirit
The vital principle or animating force within living things
Ghost
The spirit; the soul of man.
Then gives her grieved ghost thus to lament.
Spirit
The general atmosphere of a place or situation and the effect that it has on people;
The feel of the city excited him
A clergyman improved the tone of the meeting
It had the smell of treason
Ghost
Any faint shadowy semblance; an unsubstantial image; a phantom; a glimmering; as, not a ghost of a chance; the ghost of an idea.
Each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Spirit
A fundamental emotional and activating principle determining one's character
Ghost
A false image formed in a telescope by reflection from the surfaces of one or more lenses.
And he gave up the ghost full softly.
Jacob . . . yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people
Spirit
Any incorporeal supernatural being that can become visible (or audible) to human beings
Ghost
To die; to expire.
Spirit
The state of a person's emotions (especially with regard to pleasure or dejection);
His emotional state depended on her opinion
He was in good spirits
His spirit rose
Ghost
To appear to or haunt in the form of an apparition.
Spirit
The intended meaning of a communication
Ghost
A mental representation of some haunting experience;
He looked like he had seen a ghost
It aroused specters from his past
Spirit
Animation and energy in action or expression;
It was a heavy play and the actors tried in vain to give life to it
Ghost
A writer who gives the credit of authorship to someone else
Spirit
An inclination or tendency of a certain kind;
He had a change of heart
Ghost
A suggestion of some quality;
There was a touch of sarcasm in his tone
He detected a ghost of a smile on her face
Spirit
Infuse with spirit;
The company spirited him up
Ghost
Move like a ghost;
The masked men ghosted across the moonlit yard
Ghost
Haunt like a ghost; pursue;
Fear of illness haunts her
Ghost
Write for someone else;
How many books have you ghostwritten so far?
Common Curiosities
Are there scientific explanations for ghosts?
Scientific explanations for ghosts often involve psychological, environmental, or physical factors, though many experiences remain unexplained.
Can all ghosts be considered spirits?
Yes, ghosts are a specific type of spirit, related to deceased humans.
How do different cultures view spirits and ghosts?
Cultural views vary widely, with some cultures having rich traditions involving spirits of nature and ancestors, and others focusing on ghosts within specific haunting contexts.
Can spirits be good or bad?
Yes, spirits can be considered benevolent, malevolent, or neutral, depending on the cultural context and the specific entity.
What is a poltergeist?
A poltergeist is a type of ghost or spirit phenomenon characterized by physical disturbances such as loud noises or objects being moved or thrown.
Why do some people believe in ghosts but not spirits?
Beliefs in ghosts are often tied to personal experiences or cultural folklore, whereas beliefs in spirits can be broader and vary by religious or philosophical views.
What is the difference between a spirit and a ghost?
A spirit is a general term for non-physical entities, including the essence of life, while a ghost specifically refers to the soul of a deceased person.
What is the purpose of communicating with spirits or ghosts?
Purposes can include seeking guidance, understanding the unseen world, resolving unfinished business, or connecting with deceased loved ones.
How can someone tell if a spirit is present?
Signs vary by belief and can include unexplained sounds, sensations, or visual anomalies, though interpretations are subjective.
Why do ghosts appear at night?
Cultural and folklore explanations suggest that the quiet and darkness of night make it easier to notice or believe in ghostly presences, though not all ghost sightings occur at night.
Can animals be spirits or ghosts?
Some belief systems include the concept of animal spirits or ghosts, often as guides, protectors, or manifestations of natural forces.
Do all religions believe in spirits or ghosts?
Beliefs in spirits and ghosts vary widely among religions, with some embracing these concepts and others rejecting or interpreting them differently.
Is it possible to get rid of a ghost?
Many cultures have rituals or methods for helping ghosts move on or for protecting spaces from unwanted spiritual presences.
What role do spirits play in spirituality?
Spirits can serve as guides, teachers, protectors, or manifestations of divine forces in various spiritual practices.
Share Your Discovery
Previous Comparison
Mhmm vs. Mmhm
Next Comparison
Wintery vs. WintryAuthor Spotlight
Written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
