occultism

noun

oc·​cult·​ism ə-ˈkəl-ˌti-zəm How to pronounce occultism (audio)
ä-;
ˈä-ˌkəl-
: occult theory or practice : belief in or study of the action or influence of supernatural or supernormal powers
occultist
ə-ˈkəl-tist How to pronounce occultism (audio)
ä-;
ˈä-ˌkəl-
noun

Examples of occultism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The politics of the left and right both had their accompanying musical currents, from the stern worker folksingers of the Italian Communist Party to far-right bands inspired by occultism and the organic rural fantasies of J.R.R. Tolkien. Michelle Orange, Harper's Magazine, 11 Dec. 2023 Part gothic romance and part love letter to the thriving 90s Mexico City film industry, Moreno-Garcia's slow-burn thriller blends Mexican horror cinema with the horrors of Nazi occultism. Pamela Avila, USA TODAY, 20 July 2023 The last of those contributed to a feverish and largely apocryphal fascination with Nazi occultism that lingers to this day, thanks in no small part to the way the Indiana Jones franchise picked up on it. Gerry Canavan, Washington Post, 28 June 2023 Well before the rise of punk and heavy metal, Anger was juxtaposing music with bikers, sadomasochism, occultism and Nazi imagery. Hillel Italie, BostonGlobe.com, 24 May 2023 One of the pillars of occultism, which flourished in Europe from around the turn of the century, was the idea that magical correspondences existed between things in different categories, such as gods, plants, perfumes, constellations, precious stones and numbers. Washington Post, 29 Apr. 2022 Over the ensuing years, Sutter used Martinet Press to spread O9A and the Tempel ov Blood in the hidden corners of occultism and extremism. Ali Winston, Rolling Stone, 5 June 2022 By the 1990s, Dungeons & Dragons had become wrapped up in the Satanic Panic — railed against by the religious right and seen to be a gateway drug of sorts into occultism. Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2022 Allegedly created by octogenarian Englishman David Myatt in the 1970s, and once confined to the most obscure corners of occultism, O9A ideology has expanded in the internet age. Ali Winston, Rolling Stone, 5 June 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'occultism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

occult entry 2 + -ism

First Known Use

1876, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of occultism was in 1876

Dictionary Entries Near occultism

Cite this Entry

“Occultism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/occultism. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

occultism

noun
oc·​cult·​ism ə-ˈkəl-ˌtiz-əm How to pronounce occultism (audio)
ä-;
ˈäk-ˌəl-ˌtiz-əm
: a belief in the action or influence of supernatural powers
occultist noun

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