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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.


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

"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

Etymology

Origin of spiritualism

First recorded in 1825–35; spiritual + -ism

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.

Chapnick discovered Alcott’s other stories as part of his research into spiritualism and mesmerism.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 17, 2024

For me, as someone who grew up Ethiopian and Evangelical, all of this spiritualism was new ground I was breaking into, and I was scared of what it held for me.

From Salon • Oct. 27, 2023

I had grown up Catholic in Santa Cruz, a California hot spot for new age-y hippies; by the time I was in college I had already rejected both Catholicism and new age spiritualism.

From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2023

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

Articles in the paper covered feminism, suffrage, sex education, legalized prostitution, vegetarianism, women in the military, and spiritualism.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

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