Definition

1. Noun:
   • The act or practice of expelling evil spirits: "Exorcism" refers to the ritualistic process of driving out or freeing a person, place, or object from a perceived evil spirit or demonic possession.
   • A ceremony or formula used to cast out evil spirits: It can also denote the specific words, prayers, or actions performed to achieve this expulsion.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The priest performed an exorcism to cleanse the haunted house.
  • Belief in the power of exorcism is found in many cultures and religions.

Advanced Usage

• "to perform an exorcism": to carry out the ritual of expelling an evil spirit.
  • The community requested a shaman to perform an exorcism.
• "the exorcism of": used to specify the target (e.g., a spirit, a place, or a negative influence).
  • The film depicts the harrowing exorcism of a young girl.

Variants and Related Words

• Exorcise (verb): To drive out an evil spirit from a person or place.
  • The goal was to exorcise the demon.
• Exorcist (noun): A person who performs exorcisms.
  • The exorcist recited ancient prayers.

Synonyms

• Expulsion: The act of forcing something out.
• Purification: The act of making something spiritually clean.
• Cleansing: The process of removing negative or unclean elements.

Related Phrases

• Rite of exorcism: The formal ceremonial procedure for an exorcism.
  • He studied the traditional rite of exorcism.

Related Idioms

• "Like an exorcism": Used figuratively to describe an intense process of removing something deeply embedded or negative.
  • The audit was like an exorcism of the company's corrupt practices.

Noun

1. freeing from evil spirits