spiritualism

American  

[spir-i-choo-uh-liz-uhm] / ˈspɪr ɪ tʃu əˌlɪz əm /

noun

1. the belief or doctrine that the spirits of the dead, surviving after the mortal life, can and do communicate with the living, especially through a person (a medium) particularly susceptible to their influence.

2. the practices or phenomena associated with this belief.

3. the belief that all reality is spiritual.

4. Metaphysics. any of various doctrines maintaining that the ultimate reality is spirit or mind.

5. spiritual quality or tendency.

6. insistence on the spiritual side of things, as in philosophy or religion.

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spiritualism British  

/ ˈspɪrɪtjʊəˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. the belief that the disembodied spirits of the dead, surviving in another world, can communicate with the living in this world, esp through mediums

2. the doctrines and practices associated with this belief

3. philosophy the belief that because reality is to some extent immaterial it is therefore spiritual

4. any doctrine (in philosophy, religion, etc) that prefers the spiritual to the material

5. the condition or quality of being spiritual

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Other Word Forms

• antispiritualism noun
• antispiritualistic adjective
• spiritualist noun
• spiritualistic adjective
• spiritualistically adverb

Etymology

Origin of spiritualism

First recorded in 1825–35; spiritual + -ism

Example Sentences

What she shows us is a woman whose spiritualism, stage presence and charisma propelled her into a place of celebrity and fame that became a trap.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 8, 2025

“Personally, I’m an atheist. I don’t believe in god. I don’t believe in any religion. But I understand the power of spiritualism. For me, spiritualism is an emotion. And I write stories filled with emotions.”

From Seattle Times • Jul. 20, 2022

Raised Baptist, Pettijohn eventually balanced mindfulness work with church, and attends Unity Church, which is a Christian denomination that emphasizes spiritualism and universalism.

From Washington Post • Jul. 4, 2022

Preoccupied with spiritualism and the occult as well as with her painting, Ms. Keane said nothing publicly even after discovering what her husband was up to, remaining passively complicit in the fraud for a decade.

From New York Times • Jun. 28, 2022

She was a tranquil soul who entertained herself, studied hard, played with her dolls, and showed not the slightest inclination for her mother’s spiritualism or her father’s fits of rage.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende