ancestor worship

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ancestor worship¹

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

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.

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

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She always taught me that our reunification with loved ones is deferred upon entry to the Kingdom of Heaven; ancestor worship was a sin that jeopardized my access to that prize.

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“Chinese have that, too—ancestor worship, sweeping the graves in the springtime.”

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It is disquieting, then, when after many pages of lucid observations, she goes off the rails on the subject of ancestor worship — its ancient origins and modern incarnations.

Read more on Los Angeles Times