plural shamans
1
: a priest or priestess who uses magic for the purpose of curing the sick, divining the hidden, and controlling events
2
: one who resembles a shaman
especially
: high priest sense 3
Examples of shaman in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The game, set to launch April 23, follows a young shaman, Zau, who has made a deal with the god of death to bring his father back to life in exchange for three great spirits.
—
Megan Farokhmanesh, WIRED, 2 Apr. 2024
Another standout aspect: The spa has lots of interesting practitioners, including joy coaches, traditional numerology shamans and dance teachers, and a resident Balinese spiritual healer who can guide you in a customary practice in the privacy of his own home.
—Annie Daly, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2024
In real life, the Malaysian factory workers weren’t fully responsive to the Western treatments — like Valium — that their employers put forward, reacting more positively to the services of a shaman, who performed an exorcism to rid them of their maladies.
—Beatrice Loayza, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2024
For one thing, Morrisseau almost always signed works with his shaman’s name, Copper Thunderbird, in Cree syllabics on the front—never illegibly on the back of the painting, never in English and certainly never with a copyright symbol.
—Jordan Michael Smith, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Feb. 2024
The show begins with the mystical Rafiki, the spirit shaman who is outside the story, but will interject herself at a crucial period when a confused Simba — in his befuddled, wandering phase — is finding his way.
—Christopher Smith, Orange County Register, 2 Feb. 2024
Not so long ago, that analogizing was the work of shamans, imams, and ministers.
—Tad Friend, The New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2023
The vessel may have belonged to a shaman in a tribal society, who could have used it in rituals, university officials said.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2024
Morrisseau’s grandmother was Catholic, and his grandfather, a shaman, taught him his people’s spiritual traditions.
—Jordan Michael Smith, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Feb. 2024
Megan Farokhmanesh, WIRED, 2 Apr. 2024
Another standout aspect: The spa has lots of interesting practitioners, including joy coaches, traditional numerology shamans and dance teachers, and a resident Balinese spiritual healer who can guide you in a customary practice in the privacy of his own home.
—Annie Daly, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2024
In real life, the Malaysian factory workers weren’t fully responsive to the Western treatments — like Valium — that their employers put forward, reacting more positively to the services of a shaman, who performed an exorcism to rid them of their maladies.
—Beatrice Loayza, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2024
For one thing, Morrisseau almost always signed works with his shaman’s name, Copper Thunderbird, in Cree syllabics on the front—never illegibly on the back of the painting, never in English and certainly never with a copyright symbol.
—Jordan Michael Smith, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Feb. 2024
The show begins with the mystical Rafiki, the spirit shaman who is outside the story, but will interject herself at a crucial period when a confused Simba — in his befuddled, wandering phase — is finding his way.
—Christopher Smith, Orange County Register, 2 Feb. 2024
Not so long ago, that analogizing was the work of shamans, imams, and ministers.
—Tad Friend, The New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2023
The vessel may have belonged to a shaman in a tribal society, who could have used it in rituals, university officials said.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2024
Morrisseau’s grandmother was Catholic, and his grandfather, a shaman, taught him his people’s spiritual traditions.
—Jordan Michael Smith, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shaman.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Shaman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shaman. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
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