What does spiritist mean?
A spiritist is someone who accepts spiritism, the belief that the spirits of dead people can be contacted, usually through a medium or during a séance. In this sense, the word concerns a specific religious or spiritual practice rather than the broader belief that spirits exist. As an adjective, spiritist describes beliefs, practices, organizations, or historical movements associated with that position. Spiritists may claim to receive messages, sounds, or other apparent communications from deceased people. The term should be distinguished from medium, which names the person believed to facilitate such communication, and from spiritualist, which is broader in meaning. Although spiritism became especially prominent in Europe and North America during the nineteenth century, related beliefs and practices occur in many cultures. In contemporary writing, spiritist is most often encountered in historical, religious, or cultural discussions rather than everyday speech.
A person who believes in spiritism or practices communicating with the spirits of the dead.
"She was known as a spiritist and claimed to receive messages from deceased people."
A specialized term that is more specific than spiritualist.
Relating to spiritism or to the beliefs and practices of spiritists.
"The archive contains correspondence from leaders in the spiritist movement."
Usually used attributively, especially in historical or cultural discussion.
Used for people who believe in or practice spiritism.
"Several spiritists testified before the committee."
A spiritist claims not merely that souls exist, but that the boundary between the living and the dead can be crossed.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does spiritist come from?
Spiritist is a nineteenth-century English formation associated with spiritism, which was borrowed from French spiritisme. These words ultimately connect with Latin spiritus, meaning breath, life, or spirit. The suffix -ist identifies a person who holds or practices a particular belief or system.
How spiritist is actually used
The term is relatively formal and specialized. It is more specific than the broader term spiritualist and is not normally used for a person who merely believes in ghosts or an afterlife.
Easily confused with spiritist
A spiritualist generally believes that spirits exist and can influence the living, whereas a spiritist specifically accepts or practices spiritism and the communication of spirits.