Dictionary

exorcism en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈɛk.sɔː.sɪ.zəm/ (UK)
• /ˈɛk.sɚˌsɪ.zəm/ (US)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈɛk.sɔɹˌsɪ.zəm/ (US)

Etymology

From Old French exorciser, from Late Latin exorcizō, from Ancient Greek ἐξορκίζω (exorkízō, “to ward off, to charge under oath, adjure”), from ἐξ (ex) + ὅρκος (hórkos).

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The ritual act of driving out evil spirits from persons, places or things that are possessed by them.
   • Master Hume, we are therefore prouided: / will her Ladyship behold and heare our Exorcismes? 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv]:
   • The imputed virtue of folios full of knockdown arguments is supposed to reside in them, just as some of the majesty of the British Empire dwells in the constable’s truncheon. They are used in pure superstition, as old clodhoppers spoil Latin by way of an exorcism. 1874–1881, Robert Louis Stevenson, Virginibus Puerisque and Other Papers, London: C[harles] Kegan Paul & Co., […], published 1881, →OCLC:
   • But in this part I am going to mention, it lay chiefly in the people deceived, or equally in both; and this was in wearing charms, philtres, exorcisms, amulets, and I know not what preparations, to fortify the body with them against the plague; as if the plague was not the hand of God, but a kind of possession of an evil spirit, and that it was to be kept off with crossings, signs of the zodiac, papers tied up with so many knots, […]. 1722 March, H[enry] F[oe] [pseudonym; Daniel Defoe], A Journal of the Plague Year: […], London: […] E[lizabeth] Nutt […]; J. Roberts […]; A. Dodd […]; and J. Graves […], →OCLC:

Forms

Deriveds

sexorcism

Relateds

exorcist · exorcise · exorcistical · exorcistic · adorcism

Translations (74)

de Exorzismus (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · la exorcismus (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · hi हाज़िरात (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · hi भूतशुद्धि (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · cmn 破魔 (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · id rukiah (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · ar رُقْيَة (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · hy դիվահալածություն (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · yi השבעה (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · pt exorcismo (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · pl egzorcyzmowanie (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · da eksorcisme (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · cs exorcismus (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · hi परी-ख़्वानी (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · hi झाड़-फूँक (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · hi पिशाचनाशन (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · hi भूतापसारण (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · mk егзорци́зам (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · id usir gaib (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · hi दावत (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · tr egzorsizm (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · cmn 驅魔 /驱魔 (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · vo sädiabam (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · yi באַשווערונג (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · ca exorcisme (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · ja 破魔 (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · de Geisteraustreibung (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · scn ciarmatura (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · hi ओझाई (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · no eksorsisme (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · nl exorcisme (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · gl exorcismo (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · ja 祓魔 (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · ja 悪魔払い (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · fi henkien poismanaus (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · id pengusiran setan (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · ru изгна́ние нечи́стой си́лы (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · nl uitdrijving (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · scn ciarmu (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · he גירוש שדים (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · hi ओझैती (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · ko 굿 (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · hi सोखाई (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · fi manaus (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · fr exorcisme (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · ru экзорци́зм (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · sv exorcism (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · el εξορκισμός (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · la adiuratio (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · ang hālsung (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · cmn 驅邪 /驱邪 (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · fi eksorkismi (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · hi झाड़ (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · de Teufelsbeschwörung (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · ro exorcism (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · es exorcismo (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · pl egzorcyzm (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · eo ekzorco (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · ja エクソシズム (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · lt egzorcizmas (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · mk истеру́вање (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · uk екзорци́зм (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · ko 구마 (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · hi झाड़ा (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · la-ecc exorcizō (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · id sempulian (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · hi अभिचार (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · sv andeutdrivning (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · hu démonűzés (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · id eksorsisme (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · it esorcismo (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · sh egzorcizam (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · az ekzorsizm (ritual driving out of evil spirits) · de Teufelsaustreibung (ritual driving out of evil spirits)