body
A1Neutral - Used in all registers from casual to formal.
Definition
Meaning
The entire physical structure of a living thing, especially a person or animal.
The main or central part of something; a group of people regarded as a unit; a physical object or mass.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word's meaning expands metaphorically from a physical entity (human body) to abstract groups (a body of work) and physical objects (a celestial body). In slang (informal), it can refer to a person (e.g., 'somebody').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is highly similar. Minor differences exist in specific collocations: Brits might say 'body corporate' (legal) vs. Americans 'corporation'. Car parts: 'bodywork' (both), but specific model names may differ (e.g., 'saloon body' UK vs. 'sedan body' US).
Connotations
Equally neutral in both varieties. 'Body' as in a dead person carries the same formal/serious connotation.
Frequency
Equally high-frequency in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
the body of + NOUN (the body of the car/letter/evidence)body + VERB (the body was found)ADJECTIVE + body (political body, celestial body)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “keep body and soul together”
- “over my dead body”
- “in a body”
- “body blow”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to a group: 'the governing body', 'a body of shareholders'.
Academic
Used for a collection: 'a body of knowledge/literature/evidence'. Also in sciences: 'a celestial body', 'foreign body'.
Everyday
Primarily the physical human/animal body, health, and appearance.
Technical
Anatomy, medicine, engineering (car body), astronomy (heavenly body).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The report was poorly bodied forth.
- To body forth an idea in a sculpture.
American English
- The artist bodied the concept into a tangible form.
adjective
British English
- Body armour is issued to troops.
- A body double stood in for the actor.
American English
- She bought a new body lotion.
- He had a body scan at the clinic.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I wash my body every day.
- The cat has a small body.
- He has a strong body.
- Regular exercise is good for your body and mind.
- The main body of the text is on page two.
- A large body of water was visible from the hill.
- The governing body will vote on the policy next week.
- She used her whole body to express the emotion in the dance.
- The police found a body near the river.
- They amassed a considerable body of evidence to support their thesis.
- The student body protested against the tuition fee hike.
- The asteroid is a rocky body orbiting the sun.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'BOD-Y' as 'Bag Of Dna - You!' highlighting the physical container of your genetic material.
Conceptual Metaphor
ORGANIZATIONS/GROUPS ARE BODIES (e.g., 'the student body', 'the body politic'). TEXTS/OBJECTS ARE BODIES (e.g., 'the body of the essay', 'the car's body').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не путать с 'тело' только в физическом смысле. 'Body' также означает 'организация' (student body - студенческий совет/сообщество).
- В автомобильном контексте 'body' = 'кузов', а не 'корпус' (который 'hull' или 'frame').
- 'Body' в значении 'труп' более формально/нейтрально, чем просто 'труп' (corpse), может использоваться в официальных контекстах (body was discovered).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'body' as a countable noun for individual people in formal writing (e.g., 'Three bodies entered the room' - sounds like corpses). Use 'people' or 'persons'.
- Confusing 'body' with 'person' in legal/formal terms ('any body' is incorrect, use 'anybody' or 'any person').
- Incorrect plural in specific contexts: 'student bodies' (multiple institutions) vs. 'the student body' (single institution's students).
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'body' used to mean a group of people?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily, yes. It is very rarely used as a verb (to give form to something) or in compound adjectives (body lotion). The noun uses are by far the most common.
'Body' refers to the entire physical structure. 'Figure' refers specifically to the shape and proportions of a human body, often with a focus on appearance (e.g., 'She has a slim figure').
Yes, commonly. It can refer to the main part of an object (car body, body of a violin), a collection (body of work), or a mass (a body of water, a celestial body).
It is standard and not redundant. While 'body' alone can imply a corpse in certain contexts (e.g., 'The body was found'), 'dead body' is explicitly clear and commonly used, especially in police or news reports.
Collections
Part of a collection
Body and Health
A1 · 49 words · Parts of the body and basic health vocabulary.
Health and Body
A2 · 48 words · Talking about health, illness and medical care.