as in psychic
a person who claims to speak with or for the spirits of the dead
the spiritualist claims merely to be the agency through which the spirit—or "control"—conveys its messages to the living
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Recent Examples of spiritualist
Kilmer was cast as Father Fintan, a Catholic priest and Native American spiritualist.
—
Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 21 Mar. 2026
The actor will portray Father Fintan, a Native American spiritualist and Catholic priest.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 19 Mar. 2026
The actor was cast in Voorhees’s film years before his death as priest and spiritualist Father Fintan but never had a chance to step on set due to his throat cancer.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
Disappointed with mainstream health care, Mihich sought help from energy healers, spiritualists, and other alternative-medicine practitioners and entrepreneurs, who regularly supported her aversion to psychiatric medications, according to Sarah and Torina.
—Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
The eccentric spiritualist Mary delivered a message from the real dead woman — Maxine’s twin, Mirabelle — then lifted the casket lid and saw that Maxine was there.
—Rosemary Rossi, Variety, 25 Dec. 2025
There was a big movement at the time — because so many people were killed in the Civil War, and so many women were losing children — of spiritualists, who were almost all women, who would speak to the dead.
—Mike Miller, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Dec. 2025
For those of our listeners who might be watching The Gilded Age, there’s a spiritualist moment where the character, played by Cynthia Nixon, is trying to contact her late husband.
—Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 21 Mar. 2026
The actor will portray Father Fintan, a Native American spiritualist and Catholic priest.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 19 Mar. 2026
The actor was cast in Voorhees’s film years before his death as priest and spiritualist Father Fintan but never had a chance to step on set due to his throat cancer.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
Disappointed with mainstream health care, Mihich sought help from energy healers, spiritualists, and other alternative-medicine practitioners and entrepreneurs, who regularly supported her aversion to psychiatric medications, according to Sarah and Torina.
—Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
The eccentric spiritualist Mary delivered a message from the real dead woman — Maxine’s twin, Mirabelle — then lifted the casket lid and saw that Maxine was there.
—Rosemary Rossi, Variety, 25 Dec. 2025
There was a big movement at the time — because so many people were killed in the Civil War, and so many women were losing children — of spiritualists, who were almost all women, who would speak to the dead.
—Mike Miller, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Dec. 2025
For those of our listeners who might be watching The Gilded Age, there’s a spiritualist moment where the character, played by Cynthia Nixon, is trying to contact her late husband.
—Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiritualist
psychic
Noun
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The town, about 25 miles southwest of Daytona Beach, Florida, is home to mediums, psychics and healers, many practicing out of their homes.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
20 Oct. 2025
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Think past life regression meditations, tarot and oracle card readings, and even sessions with psychics.—
Susmita Baral,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spiritualist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiritualist. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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