exorcism

noun

ex·​or·​cism ˈek-ˌsȯr-ˌsi-zəm  -sər- 

1

: the act or practice of exorcising

2

: a spell or formula used in exorcising

exorcist

ˈek-ˌsȯr-ˌsist  -sər- 

-səst

noun

exorcistic

ˌek-ˌsȯr-ˈsi-stik  -sər- 

adjective

or exorcistical

ˌek-ˌsȯr-ˈsi-sti-kəl  -sər- 

Examples of exorcism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As in the never-ending parade of ostensibly Christian exorcism movies, religious belief here seems like a superficial excuse for a stock array of supernatural hoodoo — no matter how many times Chalik’s Abuyya pauses the action to mouth some healing doctrine. —Dennis Harvey, Variety, 6 Aug. 2025

Blumhouse’s The Exorcist: Believer: Guests can walk through a retelling of the 2023 horror film, from the disappearance of two young girls in the woods to the finale’s exorcism ritual. —Bailey Schulz, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025

The music’s somewhere between experimental rave-pop and vulnerable exorcism, delicate odes that mutate into thwomping electronic drops. —Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 25 June 2025

The Bishop of Des Moines asked the Roman Catholic priest to conduct the rite of exorcism on 46-year-old Emma Schmidt (played by Abigail Cowen) in Earling, Iowa. —Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 6 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for exorcism

• autism
• fascism
• racism
• sikhism
• statism
• sufism
• thomism
• tourism
• tropism
• abolitionism
• aldosteronism
• americanism

Kids Definition

exorcism

noun

ex·​or·​cism ˈek-ˌsȯr-ˌsiz-əm 

-sər-

: the act or practice of exorcising

exorcist

-ˌsist 

-səst

noun