demonology

or dae·mon·ol·o·gy

[ dee-muh-nol-uh-jee ]

noun

1. the study of demons or of beliefs about demons.
2. belief in demons.
3. a group of persons or things regarded as evil or pernicious.

demonology

/ ˌdiːmənəˈlɒdʒɪkəl; ˌdiːməˈnɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. Also calleddemonism the study of demons or demonic beliefs
2. a set of people or things that are disliked or held in low esteem

   the place occupied by Hitler in contemporary demonology

Derived Forms

• demonological, adjective
• ˌdemonˈologist, noun

Other Words From

• de·mon·o·log·ic [dee-m, uh, -nl-, oj, -ik], demon·o·logi·cal adjective
• demon·o·logi·cal·ly adverb
• demon·olo·gist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of demonology¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; demono- + -logy

Example Sentences

“I guess I just always thought a church was a church. The world of demonology was something that I had never had any exposure to.”

From Los Angeles Times

Gagné told Salon that Pierce and Sheets echo the "systematic demonology" of NAR's founding organizer, the late C. Peter Wagner, who proposed different forms of "spiritual warfare": Ground-Level Spiritual Warfare, such as exorcism; Strategic-Level Spiritual Warfare, dedicated to combatting "territorial spirits"; and Occult-Level Spiritual Warfare, which contends with occult practices and "false religions."

From Salon

All taught the very biblical duality-laden concepts of demonology, of believer/nonbeliever, of us/them.

From Salon

Thomas utilizes the genre to tell this story that uses Jewish lore and demonology to talk about memory, catharsis and trauma; Davis’ incredible performance brings a deeply sad and rueful element to the film.

From Los Angeles Times

“A modern demonology for the age of reason,” Canales’s book demonstrates that science advanced through the centuries along with its devils.

From Washington Post