ancestor worship

American  

noun

Anthropology.

1. (in certain societies) the veneration of ancestors whose spirits are frequently held to possess the power to influence the affairs of the living.

---

Etymology

Origin of ancestor worship

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

Historically, you might say we are a religion of ancestor worship.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 11, 2025

From around 1640, as part of a push to ban Christianity, temples kept family registries of people in the neighborhood, creating a tradition of ancestor worship still observed today.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 4, 2023

But it seems clear the process was somehow related to spiritual practices, possibly an indication of ancestor worship or even belief in an afterlife.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

At some point before contact with Christians, ancestor worship was replaced by a religion centered around a “birdman.”

From Washington Times • Oct. 7, 2022

People who can comfort the dead can also chase after them to hurt them further—a reverse ancestor worship.

From "The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston