exorcism
Americannoun
-
exorcisms
plural
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the act or process of exorcising.
-
the ceremony or the formula used in exorcising.
An elaborate exorcism was pronounced over the sick man.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of exorcism
1350–1400; Middle English exorcisme (< Old French ) < Medieval Latin < Greek exorkismós administration of an oath. See exorcise, -ism
Explanation
A kid who's having an hour-long screaming temper tantrum probably needs either an exorcism or a nap. You can use the noun exorcism to describe getting rid of evil spirits. Exorcism, when it's used literally to mean evicting bad spirits, is a religious term. Plenty of horror movies feature a priest performing the ritual of exorcism on a demonically possessed person, and some version of exorcism really does exist in Catholic, Muslim, Hindu, and Jewish traditions. The word can also be used as a metaphor for getting rid of something negative: "Finally telling you the truth felt like an exorcism."
Vocabulary lists containing exorcism
To All the Boys I've Loved Before
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She Is A Haunting
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Wintergirls
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Asia's only dedicated exorcism centre -- designed to train not only Philippine priests but clergy from across the region -- sits just off a busy thoroughfare in Metro Manila.
From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026
"To let go of somebody you love, the best way to do it is to write about it. It's like an exorcism."
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
Jim Dolan, less than 24 hours after the New York Knicks’ championship exorcism.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
More elegantly, in a climactic moment, he finally plays the piano — a possession and an exorcism at the same time and an explosion of raw talent that says everything he cannot.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026
I was ready to yield, even if it meant an exorcism.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
The series also starred Collins as angel Castiel, who accompanies the Winchesters on their exorcisms.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 26, 2025
Oscar winner Russell Crowe is in the worst actor category for his portrayal of Father Gabriele Amorth, a priest who performed more than 100,000 exorcisms, in The Pope's Exorcist.
From BBC ● Jan. 22, 2024
"The great majority of exorcisms that happen on any given day across the globe are not Catholic. They are Pentecostal."
From Salon ● Oct. 8, 2023
The miracles, teachings, exorcisms were one thing, but they were all signposts of the greater miracle: the healing of the human heart.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 23, 2022
They influence and work upon their countrymen principally through their mystic exorcisms and seances, which occur as a rule in the winter, when they are living in houses.
From The Doctor in History, Literature, Folk-Lore, Etc. by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
