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Synonyms

shaman

American  
[shah-muhn, shey-, sham-uhn] / ˈʃɑ mən, ˈʃeɪ-, ˈʃæm ən /

noun

  1. (especially among certain tribal peoples) a person who acts as intermediary between the natural and supernatural worlds, using magic to cure illness, foretell the future, control spiritual forces, etc.

shaman British  
/ ʃəˈmænɪk, ˈʃæmən /

noun

  1. a priest of shamanism

  2. a medicine man of a similar religion, esp among certain tribes of North American Indians

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • shamanic adjective

Etymology

Origin of shaman

First recorded in 1690–1700; from German Schamane, from Russian shamán, probably from Evenki šamān, samān or another Tungusic language, perhaps ultimately via an intermediary such as Tocharian B from Sanskrit śramaṇá- “ascetic, monk”

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.

"May all that is bad dissolve into the river and never return," the shaman chanted.

From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026

Spear dies a hero at the second season’s close, only for a shaman to reanimate him in the third season premiere as a zombie.

From Salon • Feb. 1, 2026

Photographer Stuart Dods is one of those willing to take the treatment from a shaman.

From BBC • Oct. 12, 2025

The Joker, for example, becomes Yoka, a shaman and right-hand man to emperor Moctezuma who can communicate with the gods.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 9, 2025

But then, I never knew when an unexpected question might wind its way to me from the shaman.

From "The Ugly One" by Leanne Statland Ellis

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.