séance

[ sey-ahns ]

noun

1. a meeting in which a spiritualist attempts to communicate with the spirits of the dead.
2. a session or sitting, as of a class or organization.

seance

/ ˈseɪɑ̃ns; -ɑːns /

noun

1. a meeting at which spiritualists attempt to receive messages from the spirits of the dead
2. a meeting of a society

Spelling Note

See resume ².

Word History and Origins

Origin of séance¹

1795–1805; < French: session, equivalent to sé-, base of seoir to sit ¹ (< Latin sedēre ) + -ance -ance

Word History and Origins

Origin of séance¹

C19: from French, literally: a sitting, from Old French seoir to sit, from Latin sedēre

Example Sentences

Was a séance held or Ouija board used before the disturbance began?

From The Daily Beast

She sent at once for Lees and a séance was held in the Palace.

From The Daily Beast

Brown would mount a séance and the dead prince would speak for himself.

From The Daily Beast

Years later, George VI happened on a detailed record of a John Brown séance that had somehow managed to survive.

From The Daily Beast

These are the poorer class of models—the riff-raff of the Quarter—who get anywhere from a few sous to a few francs for a séance.

From Project Gutenberg

He was present upon serious business, in fact, nothing short of assisting at a séance.

From Project Gutenberg

It was not to be wondered at that the séance was very brief, and the meeting adjourned.

From Project Gutenberg

My first experimental séance with this remarkable medium took place on the 27th of July, 1897.

From Project Gutenberg

We were speaking, a few pages back, of the séance drawings and descriptions of Jupiter made by Victorien Sardou.

From Project Gutenberg