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Glite Dictionary
voodooism

voodooism

9.9
A religion from the Caribbean, especially Haiti, that mixes West African beliefs, Catholic ideas, spirits, and magic
  • noun
  • /ˈvuːduːˌɪzəm/
translation icon : voodoo
  • The study of voodooism reveals the rich cultural heritage and spiritual practices of the Caribbean.

Examples

  • You wouldn't have anything to do with her sudden interest... in witchcraft and voodooism, would you?

    Dead & Buried (1981)

  • Many people in Haiti still follow voodooism, honoring their animistic deities and performing rituals.

  • You know, communism, fascism, voodooism.

    Frank Capra: Mr. America (2023)

  • You know, communism, fascism... ...voodooism, everybody's got an "ism" these days.

    You Can't Take It with You (1938)

  • Do you, as an intelligent scientist, dare to dismiss as superstition the principles underlying Tibetan magic, voodooism, thought transference?

    Dracula's Daughter (1936)

  • You wouldn't have anything to do with her sudden interest in witchcraft and voodooism, would you?

Synonyms

voodoo
vsvoodooism
39 7.9

A religion from West Africa practiced in Haiti and the Caribbean with rituals and belief in spirits

adds Roman Catholic influence and animistic deities to those practices
vodoun
vsvoodooism
1 9.9

A religion from West Africa, practiced in Haiti, that involves belief in spirits and ancestors

mixes those spiritual beliefs with Roman Catholic influence and witchcraft

Surface Forms

voodooism singular
voodooisms plural

Morphology

voodooism = voodoo (transparent) = voodoo + ism

Formed by the productive suffix '-ism' attaching to the noun 'voodoo' to indicate the belief system or practice, so the meaning is directly derivable.

Etymology

The word voodooism comes from voodoo, which comes from the West African word vodun, meaning 'spirit' or 'god', and the ending -ism shows a set of beliefs. So, voodooism is the name for the religious beliefs and rituals that focus on these spirits, especially in places like Haiti.