Definition

The act of driving out evil spirits from a person or place, often performed by a religious leader.

Example

The priest performed an exorcism to rid the house of the haunting presence.

Conversation

Have you ever heard about the ritual of exorcism?

Yeah, I saw a movie about it once; it was pretty creepy.

I find it fascinating how different cultures approach exorcism.

Definitely! It's interesting to see the beliefs behind those practices.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Exorcism → It is formed from "ex-" (meaning out of or from) and "orcismus" (from Greek "orkizein", meaning to bind by oath). The word refers to the act of driving out or binding away evil spirits or demons.

Memory Tip

Think of 'driving out' ('ex-') something that is 'bound' ('orcismus') — that's why exorcism means to cast out evil spirits.

Visually Confused Words