Spiritualists

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals or groups who seek to communicate with spirits or the deceased
2. Practitioners of a belief system emphasizing the existence and influence of non-physical entities
3. People who advocate for spiritual experiences and enlightenment through various metaphysical practices

Etymology: Spiritualists are named for the spirit they claim to reach, and the path to that name runs through Latin breath. "Spiritus" meant "breath" or "spirit" in Latin, and it gave English "spirit" by way of Old French. Adding the adjective suffix "-al" produced "spiritual," which in Middle English meant having to do with the spirit as opposed to the body, a sense it still carries. The noun "spiritualist" is simply "spiritual" plus the suffix "-ist," which marks a person who follows or practises something, so the word means a person who holds to or practises the spiritual. The "-ist" ending came into English through Old French from Latin and Greek, and it is the same ending found in words like "scientist" and "artist." The plural "spiritualists" is the form used for more than one such practitioner.