in spirit
Heart there, not body
Present in feeling or thought rather than physically.
Someone who can't attend an event but sends good wishes is there in spirit.
The phrase acknowledges emotional solidarity despite physical absence: I can't make it to the funeral, but I'll be with you in spirit.
It can also describe alignment with the intent rather than the letter of something: The proposal follows the guidelines in spirit if not in every detail.
- symbolicallyBy way of representation
- harmonyAgreement or musical blend
- memoryMind's retention capacity
- solidarityUnity among allies
- unityWholeness through cohesion
toast · supportiveness · essence · heart and soul · absentia · embodiment · representation · figuratively · conviction · proxy · empathy · presence · agreement · vigil · creed · whisper · kinship · feeling
in spiritin person
Bodily present somewhere
in the flesh · bodily · physically · corporeally · face to face
in spiritto the letter
With complete exactness
literally · by the book · word for word · technically · in practice
in spiritin name only
Officially but not actually
technically · nominally · perfunctorily · superficially · going through the motions