druid

noun

dru·​id ˈdrü-id 

variants often Druid

: one of an ancient Celtic priesthood appearing in Irish and Welsh sagas and Christian legends as magicians and wizards

druidic

drü-ˈi-dik 

adjective

or druidical

drü-ˈi-di-kəl 

, often Druidic

Did you know?

Members of a learned class of priests, teachers, and judges among the ancient Celtic peoples, the druids instructed young men, oversaw sacrifices, judged quarrels, and decreed penalties. They did not engage in warfare and paid no tribute. They studied ancient verse, natural philosophy, astronomy, and religious lore; their principal doctrine was belief in the immortality of the soul and the belief that the soul passed into another body after death. They sometimes practiced human sacrifice to cure gravely ill people or protect warriors in battle. The druids were suppressed in Gaul by the Romans in the first century ce and in Britain a little later. After Christianity came to Ireland, they lost their priestly functions, but survived as poets, historians, and judges.

Examples of druid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Interest in the ancient druids emerged in the 16th and 17th centuries among European antiquarians—early modern scholars and collectors who studied ancient remains, manuscripts, and monuments. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin druides, druidae, plural, from Gaulish druides; akin to Old Irish druí druid, and perhaps to Old English trēow tree

First Known Use

1563, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for druid

• fluid
• superfluid

Kids Definition

druid

noun

dru·​id ˈdrü-əd 

often capitalized

: a member of an ancient Celtic priesthood appearing in sagas and legends as magicians and wizards

druidic

drü-ˈid-ik 

adjective

or druidical

-i-kəl 

often capitalized

druidism

ˈdrü-ə-ˌdiz-əm

noun often capitalized