spiritualism

noun

spir·​i·​tu·​al·​ism ˈspir-i-chə-wə-ˌli-zəm 

-i-chə-ˌli-,

-ich-wə-ˌli-

1

: the view that spirit is a prime element of reality

2

a

: a belief that spirits of the dead communicate with the living usually through a medium

b

capitalized : a movement comprising religious organizations emphasizing spiritualism

spiritualist

ˈspir-i-chə-wə-list 

-i-chə-list

-ich-wə-list

noun often capitalized

spiritualistic

ˌspir-i-chə-wə-ˈli-stik 

-i-chə-ˈli-

-ich-wə-ˈli-

adjective

Examples of spiritualism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Contemporary accounts describe Antoine as a pious person, initially committed to Catholicism, then to spiritualism. —Emilien Hofman (tr. Elettra Pauletto), The Dial, 20 Mar. 2025

By the time Alexander expired, in a fog of lunatic spiritualism, in 1825, his empire was the largest the world had ever known, stretching from the Baltic Sea to the far side of the Pacific Ocean, from the Black Sea to the Arctic Ocean. —James Verini, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2025

This provided her with income, but her true life's work drew on af Klint's interest in spiritualism and mysticism. —Ars Technica, 11 Jan. 2025

It’s also been a treat to page through the visual and physical embodiments of spiritualism (pun intended)—the clothing, playbills, the Ouija boards, and rabbits in hats that remain from generations of seekers. —The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 20 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1749, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

spiritualism

noun

spir·​i·​tu·​al·​ism ˈspir-ich-(ə-)wə-ˌliz-əm 

-ich-ə-ˌliz-

: a belief that the spirits of the dead communicate with the living