spiritualism

[ spir-i-choo-uh-liz-uhm ]

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

/ 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

Derived Forms

• ˌspirituaˈlistic, adjective
• ˈspiritualist, noun

Other Words From

• spirit·u·al·istic adjective
• spirit·u·al·isti·cal·ly adverb
• anti·spirit·u·al·ism noun
• anti·spirit·u·al·istic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of spiritualism¹

First recorded in 1825–35; spiritual + -ism

Example Sentences

“Great Gold Bird” can be heavy, tugging at our hearts even as it becomes more mystical — its themes ricocheting among grief, science fiction and spiritualism.

From Los Angeles Times

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

From Seattle Times

This book by an Australian art critic turns a penetrating gaze on female artists who, in the 19th century and into the 20th, embraced spiritualism for sometimes uncertain reasons.

From New York Times

Their mission: Finding myriad ways to convey how faith and spiritualism, in their many forms, manifested themselves around the world in 2023.

From Seattle Times

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