Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person who performs exorcisms: An exorcist is someone who practices the ritual of expelling or attempting to expel a supposed evil spirit from a person or place.
   • A historical clerical order: In the unreformed Western Church, an exorcist was one of the minor orders leading to priesthood, a role that is now suppressed in the Roman Catholic Church.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The family called an exorcist to help their possessed child.
  • In the film, the exorcist used prayers and holy water to confront the demon.
  • Historically, a man would be ordained as an exorcist before becoming a deacon.

Advanced Usage

• "to play the exorcist": to take on the role of someone who drives out negative influences, used metaphorically.
  • The new manager had to play the exorcist to rid the department of its toxic culture.

Variants and Related Words

• Exorcise (verb): To drive out an evil spirit from a person or place.
  • The priest sought to exorcise the demon.
• Exorcism (noun): The ritual act of driving out an evil spirit.
  • The exorcism was a long and difficult ceremony.

Synonyms

• Demonologist: A person who studies demons; sometimes overlaps in function.
• Spiritual cleanser: A more general, modern term for someone who performs cleansing rituals.

Related Phrases

• To perform an exorcism: The specific action carried out by an exorcist.
  • Only a trained priest is authorized to perform an exorcism.

Related Idioms

• A battle worthy of an exorcist: Used to describe an extremely difficult struggle against a pervasive negative force.
  • Cleaning that old basement was a battle worthy of an exorcist.

Noun

1. someone who practices exorcism
2. one of the minor orders in the unreformed Western Church but now suppressed in the Roman Catholic Church