Rosicrucian

American  

[roh-zi-kroo-shuhn, roz-i-] / ˌroʊ zɪˈkru ʃən, ˌrɒz ɪ- /

noun

1. (in the 17th and 18th centuries) a person who belonged to a secret society laying claim to various forms of occult knowledge and power and professing esoteric principles of religion.

2. a member of any of several later or modern bodies or societies professing principles derived from or attributed to the earlier Rosicrucians, especially of an organization Rosicrucian Order, or Ancient Mystic Order Rosae Crucis that is active in America.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Rosicrucians.

Rosicrucian British  

/ ˌrəʊzɪˈkruːʃən /

noun

1. a member of a society professing esoteric religious doctrines, venerating the emblems of the rose and Cross as symbols of Christ's Resurrection and Redemption, and claiming various occult powers

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or designating the Rosicrucians or Rosicrucianism

Other Word Forms

• Rosicrucianism noun

Etymology

Origin of Rosicrucian

First recorded in 1615–25; from New Latin Rosicruc- (Latinized form of Christian Rosenkreuz, “Rosecross” in German , the surname of the supposed 15th-century founder of the society, equivalent to ros(a) + -i- + cruc-, stem of crux ) + -ian; see origin at rose ¹, -i-, cross

Example Sentences

And while San Francisco may have the famous California Academy of Sciences, San Jose boasts the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, with mummies and a robot version of Thoth, ancient “Keeper of the Mysteries.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026

“Was she a Rosicrucian? Was she a straight-down-the-line Christian? Was she haunted? Was she crazy?”

From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2017

Though it’s a foundational text of the occult Rosicrucian Order, “The Chemical Wedding” interests Crowley mostly as an account of “truly bizarre and surprising events.”

From Seattle Times • Dec. 28, 2016

Over the centuries, the Rosicrucian myth became the ur-legend for tales of shadowy groups using magic to alter the course of history.

From The New Yorker • Oct. 26, 2016

Once, while he was in the latrine, I sneaked into his spice-scented hideaway and rifled through a stack of Rosicrucian literature and a book by Nostradamus.

From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago