shamanism

[ shah-muh-niz-uhm, shey-, sham-uh- ]
See synonyms for: shamanismshamanist on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. the animistic religion of northern Asia, embracing a belief in powerful spirits that can be influenced only by shamans.

  2. any similar religion.

Origin of shamanism

1
First recorded in 1770–80; shaman + -ism

Other words from shamanism

  • sha·man·ist, noun, adjective
  • sha·man·is·tic, adjective

Words Nearby shamanism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use shamanism in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for shamanism

shamanism

/ (ˈʃæməˌnɪzəm) /


noun
  1. the religion of certain peoples of northern Asia, based on the belief that the world is pervaded by good and evil spirits who can be influenced or controlled only by the shamans

  2. any similar religion involving forms of spiritualism

Derived forms of shamanism

  • shamanist, noun, adjective
  • shamanistic, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012