Occultism

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A belief system focused on the exploration of secret knowledge and practices that relate to supernatural phenomena and the esoteric arts revealing hidden truths
2. The pursuit of hidden wisdom and mysterious practices often involves rituals and the study of unseen forces that influence the universe
3. A practice that delves into concealed knowledge concerning supernatural forces, enigma, and the metaphysical, often involving rituals and esoteric symbols

Etymology: "Occultism" is a 19th-century formation rather than an ancient one. It was borrowed from French "occultisme," which is built from the Latin adjective "occultus," meaning "hidden" or "secret," plus the suffix "-ism," used to name a doctrine, system or practice. The French coinage gave English a label for a whole body of beliefs and practices, not for any single spell or ritual. The root idea is concealment. Latin "occultus" comes from "occulere," "to hide away," so the word's core sense is something kept out of ordinary view. Attaching "-ism" turns that hiddenness into a system: a set of doctrines about knowledge or powers that lie beyond the everyday world. Because the word names a modern system of belief, it is best understood as a category that writers and critics applied to earlier practices, rather than a term the practitioners of older times would have used for themselves.

Synonyms: mysticism, esotericism, supernaturalism, witchcraft, spiritualism

Antonyms: rationalism, scientific thinking, materialism, realism, skepticism