exorcise

verb

ex·​or·​cise ˈek-ˌsȯr-ˌsīz How to pronounce exorcise (audio) -sər- How to pronounce exorcise (audio)
variants or less commonly exorcize
exorcised also exorcized; exorcising also exorcizing

transitive verb

1
a
: to expel (an evil spirit) by adjuration
b
: to get rid of (something troublesome, menacing, or oppressive)
2
: to free of an evil spirit
exorciser noun

Examples of exorcise in a Sentence

The movie is about a priest who tries to exorcise demons from a young girl. please exorcise that offensive word from your vocabulary
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
DraftKings Promo Code as Knicks Look to Close Out Celtics The Knicks can exorcise franchise demons on Friday night in Madison Square Garden. Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 May 2025 In a far-off city, all our heroes teamed up to defeat an invading empire and kill the evil immortal sorcerer guiding their invasion, all while exorcising their own various demons or taking on some new ones. Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2025 During our interview, Nettles said that the idea of a family getting together to fight demons while exorcising their own demons (no pun intended) was a very important part of the story. Maelle Beauget-Uhl, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025 The Knicks then exorcised another demon — awful performances coming out of the halftime break. Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 2 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for exorcise

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French exorciscer, from Late Latin exorcizare, from Greek exorkizein, from ex- + horkizein to bind by oath, adjure, from horkos oath

First Known Use

1539, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of exorcise was in 1539

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Exorcise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exorcise. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

exorcise

verb
ex·​or·​cise ˈek-ˌsȯr-ˌsīz How to pronounce exorcise (audio)
-sər-
exorcised; exorcising
: to drive (as an evil spirit) off by calling upon some holy name or by spells

More from Merriam-Webster on exorcise

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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