Ask Difference

Spirit vs. Mind — What's the Difference?

Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on September 27, 2023
"Spirit" refers to the vital force or essence, often linked to emotions or soul. "Mind" pertains to intellect, thoughts, and cognitive functions.
Spirit vs. Mind — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Spirit and Mind

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Key Differences

The terms "Spirit" and "Mind" both relate to the intangible aspects of a person. However, they signify different dimensions of human existence. The "Spirit" often denotes the life force, essence, or the soul of a being, encompassing emotions, consciousness, and sometimes religious or spiritual beliefs. On the other hand, the "Mind" typically signifies the cognitive faculties, which include intellect, reasoning, memory, and perception.
When discussing spirituality, one may delve into the essence of the "Spirit," addressing matters of faith, the soul, or even the ethereal connection between living things. In contrast, discussions about the "Mind" tend to revolve around mental processes, thought patterns, and intellectual endeavors. It might encompass topics like psychology, cognition, and neuroscience.
A person's "Spirit" might be invigorated by moments of passion, inspiration, or profound experiences. These moments touch the core of our being, elevating our emotions and essence. The "Mind," conversely, gets stimulated by intellectual challenges, learning, and analytical thinking. It processes information, makes decisions, and helps in rationalizing our experiences.

Comparison Chart

Nature

Ethereal, essence, soul
Cognitive faculties, intellect

Associated Fields

Spirituality, religion, soul
Psychology, neuroscience, cognition
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Function

Gives life, consciousness, emotion
Thinks, reasons, processes information

Stimulation

By passion, inspiration, faith
By learning, challenges, analysis

Connection to Body

Often seen as transcending the body
Closely linked to the brain's functions

Compare with Definitions

Spirit

A particular attitude or mood.
She did it in the spirit of helping others.

Mind

Intellectual capacity.
She has one of the sharpest minds in the industry.

Spirit

A supernatural being.
Legends speak of spirits that guard the ancient temple.

Mind

A person's memory or ability to remember.
The song brought memories flooding back to his mind.

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

Mind

One's opinion, viewpoint, or will.
If you don't mind, I'd like to leave early.

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

Mind

The mind is the set of faculties responsible for mental phenomena. Often the term is also identified with the phenomena themselves.

Spirit

Strong distilled alcoholic drink such as brandy, whisky, gin, or rum.

Mind

The faculty of a human or other animal by which it thinks, perceives, feels, remembers, or desires
Studying the relation between the brain and the mind.

Spirit

A highly refined substance or fluid thought to govern vital phenomena.

Mind

A person of great mental ability
The great minds of the century.

Spirit

Convey rapidly and secretly
Stolen cows were spirited away some distance to prevent detection

Mind

Individual consciousness, memory, or recollection
I'll bear the problem in mind.

Spirit

A force or principle believed to animate living beings.

Mind

Opinion or sentiment
He changed his mind when he heard all the facts.

Spirit

A force or principle believed to animate humans and often to endure after departing from the body of a person at death; the soul.

Mind

Desire or inclination
She had a mind to spend her vacation in the desert.

Spirit

Spirit The Holy Spirit.

Mind

Focus of thought; attention
I can't keep my mind on work.

Spirit

An angel or demon.

Mind

A healthy mental state; sanity
Losing one's mind.

Spirit

A being inhabiting or embodying a particular place, object, or natural phenomenon.

Mind

The thought processes characteristic of a person or group; psychological makeup
The criminal mind.
The public mind.

Spirit

A fairy or sprite.

Mind

(Philosophy) The phenomena of intelligence, cognition, or consciousness, regarded as a material or immaterial aspect of reality.

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.

Mind

To pay attention to
Mind closely what I tell you.

Spirit

The essential nature of a person or group.

Mind

To be careful about
Mind the icy sidewalk!.

Spirit

A person as characterized by a stated quality
He is a proud spirit.

Mind

To heed in order to obey
The children minded their babysitter.

Spirit

An inclination or tendency of a specified kind
Her actions show a generous spirit.

Mind

To take care or charge of; look after
We minded the children while their parents went out.

Spirit

A pervasive or essential attitude, quality, or principle
The spirit of 1776.

Mind

The capability for rational thought.
Despite advancing age, his mind was still as sharp as ever.

Spirit

An attitude marked by enthusiasm, energy, or courage
Sang with spirit.
Troops that fought with spirit.

Mind

The ability to be aware of things.
There was no doubt in his mind that they would win.

Spirit

Spirits A mood or emotional state
The guests were in high spirits. His sour spirits put a damper on the gathering.

Mind

The ability to remember things.
My mind just went blank.

Spirit

Strong loyalty or dedication
Team spirit.

Mind

The ability to focus the thoughts.
I can’t keep my mind on what I’m doing.

Spirit

The actual though unstated sense or significance of something
The spirit of the law.

Mind

Somebody that embodies certain mental qualities.
He was one of history’s greatest minds.

Spirit

Often spirits (used with a sing. verb) An alcohol solution of an essential or volatile substance.

Mind

Judgment, opinion, or view.
He changed his mind after hearing the speech.

Spirit

Spirits An alcoholic beverage, especially distilled liquor.

Mind

Desire, inclination, or intention.
She had a mind to go to Paris.
I have half a mind to do it myself.
I am of a mind to listen.

Spirit

To carry off mysteriously or secretly
The documents had been spirited away.

Mind

A healthy mental state.
I, ______ being of sound mind and body, do herebynb...
You are losing your mind.

Spirit

To impart courage, animation, or determination to; inspirit.

Mind

(philosophy) The non-material substance or set of processes in which consciousness, perception, affectivity, judgement, thinking, and will are based.
The mind is a process of the brain.

Spirit

The soul of a person or other creature.

Mind

Continual prayer on a dead person's behalf for a period after their death.
A month's [or monthly] mind; a year's mind

Spirit

A supernatural being, often but not exclusively without physical form; ghost, fairy, angel.
A wandering spirit haunts the island.

Mind

(uncountable) Attention, consideration or thought.

Spirit

Enthusiasm.
School spirit is at an all-time high.

Mind

To bring or recall to mind; to remember; bear or keep in mind.

Spirit

The manner or style of something.
In the spirit of forgiveness, we didn't press charges.

Mind

To remember.

Spirit

A volatile liquid, such as alcohol. The plural form spirits is a generic term for distilled alcoholic beverages.

Mind

To remind; put one's mind on.

Spirit

Energy; ardour.

Mind

To turn one's mind to; to observe; to notice.

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

Mind

To regard with attention; to treat as of consequence.

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

Mind

To pay attention or heed to so as to obey; hence to obey; to make sure, to take care (that).
Mind you don't knock that glass over.

Spirit

(obsolete) Air set in motion by breathing; breath; hence, sometimes, life itself.

Mind

To pay attention to, in the sense of occupying one's mind with, to heed.
You should mind your own business.

Spirit

(obsolete) A rough breathing; an aspirate, such as the letter h; also, a mark denoting aspiration.

Mind

To look after, to take care of, especially for a short period of time.
Would you mind my bag for me?

Spirit

Intent; real meaning; opposed to the letter, or formal statement.
The spirit of an enterprise, or of a document

Mind

To be careful about.

Spirit

Any of the four substances: sulphur, sal ammoniac, quicksilver, and arsenic (or, according to some, orpiment).

Mind

To purpose, intend, plan.

Spirit

(dyeing) Stannic chloride.

Mind

Take note; used to point out an exception or caveat.
I'm not very healthy. I do eat fruit sometimes, mind.

Spirit

To carry off, especially in haste, secrecy, or mystery.

Mind

(originally and chiefly in negative or interrogative constructions) To dislike, to object to; to be bothered by.
I wouldn't mind an ice cream right now.
Do you mind if I smoke?

Spirit

Sometimes followed by up: to animate with vigour; to excite; to encourage; to inspirit.
Civil dissensions often spirit the ambition of private men.

Mind

The intellectual or rational faculty in man; the understanding; the intellect; the power that conceives, judges, or reasons; also, the entire spiritual nature; the soul; - often in distinction from the body.
By the mind of man we understand that in him which thinks, remembers, reasons, wills.
What we mean by mind is simply that which perceives, thinks, feels, wills, and desires.
Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
The mind shall banquet, though the body pine.

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.

Mind

The state, at any given time, of the faculties of thinking, willing, choosing, and the like; psychical activity or state;
A fool uttereth all his mind.
Being so hard to me that brought your mind, I fear she'll prove as hard to you in telling her mind.

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.

Mind

Choice; inclination; liking; intent; will.
If it be your minds, then let none go forth.

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.

Mind

Memory; remembrance; recollection; as, to have or keep in mind, to call to mind, to put in mind, etc.

Spirit

The intelligent, immaterial and immortal part of man; the soul, in distinction from the body in which it resides; the agent or subject of vital and spiritual functions, whether spiritual or material.
There is a spirit in man; and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.
As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Spirit is a substance wherein thinking, knowing, doubting, and a power of moving, do subsist.

Mind

Courage; spirit.

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.

Mind

To fix the mind or thoughts on; to regard with attention; to treat as of consequence; to consider; to heed; to mark; to note.
My lord, you nod: you do not mind the play.

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.

Mind

To occupy one's self with; to employ one's self about; to attend to; as, to mind one's business.
Bidding him be a good child, and mind his book.

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.

Mind

To obey; as, to mind parents; the dog minds his master.

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.

Mind

To have in mind; to purpose.
I mind to tell him plainly what I think.

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.

Mind

To put in mind; to remind.
He minded them of the mutability of all earthly things.
I do thee wrong to mind thee of it.

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.

Mind

To give attention or heed; to obey; as, the dog minds well.

Spirit

Tenuous, volatile, airy, or vapory substance, possessed of active qualities.
All bodies have spirits . . . within them.

Mind

That which is responsible for one's thoughts and feelings; the seat of the faculty of reason;
His mind wandered
I couldn't get his words out of my head

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.

Mind

Recall or remembrance;
It came to mind

Spirit

Rum, whisky, brandy, gin, and other distilled liquors having much alcohol, in distinction from wine and malt liquors.

Mind

An opinion formed by judging something;
He was reluctant to make his judgment known
She changed her mind

Spirit

A solution in alcohol of a volatile principle. Cf. Tincture.

Mind

An important intellectual;
The great minds of the 17th century

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.

Mind

Attention;
Don't pay him any mind

Spirit

Stannic chloride. See under Stannic.

Mind

Your intention; what you intend to do;
He had in mind to see his old teacher
The idea of the game is to capture all the pieces

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.

Mind

Knowledge and intellectual ability;
He reads to improve his mind
He has a keen intellect

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.

Mind

Be offended or bothered by; take offense with, be bothered by;
I don't mind your behavior

Spirit

The vital principle or animating force within living things

Mind

Be concerned with or about something or somebody

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

Mind

Be in charge of or deal with;
She takes care of all the necessary arrangements

Spirit

A fundamental emotional and activating principle determining one's character

Mind

Pay close attention to; give heed to;
Heed the advice of the old men

Spirit

Any incorporeal supernatural being that can become visible (or audible) to human beings

Mind

Be on one's guard; be cautious or wary about; be alert to;
Beware of telephone salesmen

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

Mind

Keep in mind

Spirit

The intended meaning of a communication

Mind

The element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences.
He changed his mind after hearing the full story.

Spirit

Animation and energy in action or expression;
It was a heavy play and the actors tried in vain to give life to it

Mind

The faculty of consciousness and thought.
Her mind was occupied with thoughts of the upcoming event.

Spirit

An inclination or tendency of a certain kind;
He had a change of heart

Spirit

Infuse with spirit;
The company spirited him up

Spirit

The nonphysical part of a person which is the seat of emotions and character.
Her spirit was unbreakable, even in the face of adversity.

Spirit

The vital principle or animating force within living beings.
The spirit of the forest seemed to come alive at night.

Spirit

The prevailing or typical quality, mood, or attitude of a person, group, or period of time.
The team's spirit was high after the victory.

Common Curiosities

How does "Mind" relate to the brain?

The "Mind" is linked to the brain's functions, encompassing intellect, thought processes, and perception.

What does "Spirit" generally refer to?

"Spirit" often refers to the vital force, essence, or soul of a being.

Can "Spirit" have religious connotations?

Yes, "Spirit" can pertain to religious beliefs, addressing matters of the soul or divine essence.

Is the "Mind" solely about intellectual capabilities?

No, while the "Mind" encompasses intellect, it also involves emotions, consciousness, and perceptions.

Can one be in "high spirits"?

Yes, being in "high spirits" means being in a cheerful or lively mood.

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Author Spotlight

Written by
Fiza Rafique
Fiza 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.
Tayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.

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