exorcism
Americannoun
-
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
- exorcismal adjective
- exorcisory adjective
- exorcistic adjective
- exorcistical adjective
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.
“It’s like an exorcism for all this fear and body shame that I grew up with,” he says.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026
The breaking point came in what Francis would later call an exorcism.
From Salon • Apr. 19, 2025
When I learned how to check my own daily screen time, it made me want to sign up for an exorcism.
From Slate • Nov. 16, 2024
"A bit like ghostbusting, that sort of thing, and a bit of an exorcist as well. Although, we don’t very often do the exorcism, certainly not of people."
From BBC • Oct. 31, 2024
At some point in the night, Miss Wren’s gentle massage had turned into something resembling an interspecies pro-wrestling match crossed with an exorcism.
From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs
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.
