exorcism
Americannoun
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the act or process of exorcising.
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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:
"You can shape a treatment to fit the belief system without explicitly endorsing it," French said, conceding an exorcism might even have a beneficial placebo effect in some cases.
From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026
Jim Dolan, less than 24 hours after the New York Knicks’ championship exorcism.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
Azerbaijani singer Jiva fought against restraints as she sang Just Go, a furious exorcism of a toxic relationship.
From BBC ● May 14, 2026
She notes that very few people in the audience “realize we are witnessing the exorcism of a powerful, witchy woman who is processing unfathomable loss and shock.”
From Salon ● Mar. 24, 2026
He was quoting lines from the exorcism scene in Daeonica.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
The series also starred Collins as angel Castiel, who accompanies the Winchesters on their exorcisms.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 26, 2025
Stanton delivered regular sermons to community residents, which included exorcisms and speaking in tongues.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2024
"The great majority of exorcisms that happen on any given day across the globe are not Catholic," Professor Chesnut explains.
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
"Oh, my master, begin your exorcisms, for I am awfully afraid."
From With Fire and Sword An Historical Novel of Poland and Russia. by Sienkiewicz, Henryk
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.
