exorcism
Americannoun
-
exorcisms
plural
-
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:
While the centre operates without strict Vatican oversight, it follows long-standing Church rules governing exorcism, including mandatory vetting by mental health professionals.
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
But maybe it can also be an exorcism: Tracy Morgan wasn’t the only spectator who likened the unadulterated glee lighting up the city to the final scene in “Ghostbusters.”
From Salon ● Jun. 17, 2026
Jim Dolan, less than 24 hours after the New York Knicks’ championship exorcism.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
If we went through with the exorcism, it would destroy both Yakov and me indiscriminately.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
We could think of the three albums in this series as further explorations in one particular genre, rather than personal exorcisms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
For those who know of exorcisms primarily from horror movies, the news of a professional exorcist in the nation’s capital causing drama may have been a bit confounding.
From Slate ● Jun. 8, 2026
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
It ought now to be clear that both pre-Christian and Christian exorcisms among Celts have shaped the Fairy-Faith in a very fundamental manner.
From The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries by W. Y. Evans Wentz
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
