shamanism

noun

sha·​man·​ism ˈshä-mə-ˌni-zəm 

ˈshā-mə-,

 also  shə-ˈmä-

: a religion practiced by indigenous peoples of far northern Europe and Siberia that is characterized by belief in an unseen world of gods, demons, and ancestral spirits responsive only to the shamans

also : any similar religion

shamanist

ˈshä-mə-nist 

ˈshā-mə-

 also  shə-ˈmä-

noun

shamanistic

ˌshä-mə-ˈni-stik 

ˌshā-mə-

adjective

Examples of shamanism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Squid Game is a South Korean production; KPop Demon Hunters, though produced by the American studio Sony Pictures Animation, features elements of Korean art, architecture, mythology, shamanism, food and pop culture embedded throughout the film. —Regina Kim, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025

Residents believe the snake was being kept for taxidermy, or to be stuffed, then used in shamanism and to help sell alternative medicine products. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2025

That felt a bit like shamanism. —Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2025

Some residents of the Aleutian Islands continue to practice a syncretic combination of Orthodox Christianity and shamanism, Znamenski said. —Dan Morrison, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1780, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for shamanism

• athleticism