shamanism
the animistic religion of northern Asia, embracing a belief in powerful spirits that can be influenced only by shamans.
any similar religion.
Origin of shamanism
1Other words from shamanism
- sha·man·ist, noun, adjective
- sha·man·is·tic, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use shamanism in a sentence
The Shuar are the Indigenous people of the region, legendary warriors known for shamanism and for shrinking the heads of their enemies.
Greenspan cultivated an oracular air, his utterances vague and technocratic yet hinting at shamanistic powers.
In 1980 he added Trois Villes Saintes, a barely readable exercise in shamanistic geography.
Color symbolism plays an important part in the shamanistic system of the Cherokees, no less than in that of other tribes.
The Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees | James MooneyMany of their practices were purely shamanistic, while others more closely resembled medieval magical rite.
Legends & Romances of Brittany | Lewis Spence
The non-shamanistic song series are "given away" or "destroyed" (tšupilyk) at the death of a relative.
Seven Mohave Myths | A. L. KroeberThe songs of a good many non-shamanistic narratives are danced to when there is a festival or gathering.
Seven Mohave Myths | A. L. KroeberUnder the influence of Eridu the religion of Babylonia ceased to be so purely Shamanistic as it once had been.
A Primer of Assyriology | Archibald Henry Sayce
British Dictionary definitions for shamanism
/ (ˈʃæməˌnɪzəm) /
the religion of certain peoples of northern Asia, based on the belief that the world is pervaded by good and evil spirits who can be influenced or controlled only by the shamans
any similar religion involving forms of spiritualism
Derived forms of shamanism
- shamanist, noun, adjective
- shamanistic, adjective
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
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