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spiritualism

/ˈspɪɹɪtjuəlɪzəm/ noun

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about spiritualism at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. (theology) any doctrine that asserts the separate existence of God.
  2. The belief that the spirits of dead people can communicate with people who are still alive (especially via a medium).
  3. Concern with things of the spirit.

Origin

From spiritual + -ism. In Allan Kardec's book The Spirits Book (1857) (Le Livre des Esprits in the original French), in which a distinction between spiritism and spiritualism is defined.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)