Manichaean

1 of 2

noun (1)

Man·​i·​chae·​an ˌma-nə-ˈkē-ən 

variants or Manichean or Manichee

ˈma-nə-ˌkē 

1

: a believer in a syncretistic religious dualism (see dualism sense 3) originating in Persia in the third century a.d. and teaching the release of the spirit from matter through asceticism

2

: a believer in religious or philosophical dualism

Manichaean adjective

or Manichean

Manichaeanism noun

or Manicheanism

ˌma-nə-ˈkē-ə-ˌni-zəm 

Manichaeism noun

or Manicheism

ˈma-nə-(ˌ)kē-ˌi-zəm 

Manichaeism

2 of 2

noun (2)

Man·​i·​chae·​ism

variants or Manicheism

ˈmanəˌkēˌizəm 

or less commonly Manichaeanism or Manicheanism

ˌmanəˈkēəˌnizəm 

or Manicheeism

ˈmanəˌkēˌizəm

plural -s

1

: a syncretistic religious dualism originating in Persia, widely held in the Roman empire during the third and fourth centuries a.d. and in central and eastern Asia for a longer period, and teaching as a saving wisdom given through the Hebrew prophets, Jesus, and Mani that a cosmic conflict exists between a good realm of light and an evil realm of darkness, that matter and flesh are in the realm of darkness, and that man's duty is to aid the forces of good by practicing asceticism especially by avoiding procreation and animal food

2

: a dualistic interpretation of the world dividing it between good and evil powers or regarding matter as inherently evil

Examples of Manichaean in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Beth the romantic, Beth the chaotic, Beth the Manichaean. —Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 16 Nov. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Late Latin manichaeus, from Late Greek manichaios, from Manichaios Manes died about a.d. 276 Persian founder of the sect

Noun (2)

Manichaeus (Manes) or Manichaean + English -ism

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1556, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for Manichaean

• adlerian
• caesarian
• cyclopean
• european
• grammarian
• hercynian
• huronian
• jacobean
• maccabean
• manichean
• mullerian
• mycenaean