Spiritualism
/ˈspɪrɪtʃuːəlɪzəm/noun
A belief system that spirits of the dead can communicate with the living.
Did you know?The term 'spiritualism' emerged in the 19th century, but its roots reach back to ancient practices of necromancy and divination, where the living sought wisdom from the dead.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
spiritus
“breath or spirit, often linked to the divine or ethereal.”
Old French
Old French
espirit
“soul or essence, highlighting the connection to the immaterial.”
Middle English
Middle English
spiritual
“pertaining to the spirit, emphasizing ethereal aspects of existence.”
19th Century
English
spiritualism
“the belief in the ability to communicate with spirits, emerging during an era of fascination with the occult and the afterlife.”