Spirit has several important meanings:

1. The non-physical part of a person, sometimes called the soul. Many people believe the spirit is what makes you uniquely you, separate from your body. Your spirit includes your deepest thoughts, feelings, and sense of who you are. When someone says “in spirit, I'll be with you,” they mean their thoughts and care will be there even if their body can't be.
2. Energy, enthusiasm, and determination. A team with great spirit plays with heart and never gives up, even when losing. A student who tackles a difficult project with spirit brings excitement and positive energy to the work. School spirit means pride and enthusiasm for your school. This kind of spirit shows in how you approach challenges: with courage, with joy, or sometimes both.
3. A supernatural being, like a ghost or the spirits that appear in many cultures' traditional stories. People throughout history have told tales of spirits haunting old houses or protecting sacred places.

When we talk about the spirit of the law versus the letter of the law, we mean its true intention rather than just its exact words. And something spirited (like a spirited debate or a spirited horse) shows liveliness and strong feeling.