exorcise

/ˈɛk.sɔː.saɪz/

//ˈɛk.sɔː.saɪz// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"exorcise" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“exorcise” is uncommon English (frequency #58,675 among 2,246 “E” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#58,675
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To drive out (an evil spirit) from a person, place or thing, especially by an incantation or prayer.

Corpus desk

Index EN-exorcise · exorcise · English

exorcise · rank #58,675 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #58,675
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH excl

Nearest frequency peer: excl (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “exorcise”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “exorcise” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for exorcise
PropertyValue
Headwordexorcise
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈɛk.sɔː.saɪz/
Letters8
Frequency rank#58,675
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “exorcise” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).exorcisefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “excl” (#58,674), “extendable” (#58,678), “factorization” (#58,679). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “exorcise” is #58,675. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

exorcise is uncommon English at frequency #58,675 among 2,246 “E” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈɛk.sɔː.saɪz/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for exorcise in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English exorcisen, exorzisen, from Medieval Latin exorcizō, from Ancient Greek ἐξορκίζω (exorkízō, “to banish an evil spirit; bind by oath”), from ἐξ (ex) + ὅρκος (hórkos). Compare Old French exorciser. The correct English form is exorcise, spelled E-X-O-R-C-I-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To drive out (an evil spirit) from a person, place or thing, especially by an incantation or prayer.
  2. 2
    To rid (a person, place or thing) of an evil spirit.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how exorcise appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The priest attempted to exorcise the evil spirit from the house.
  2. The ritual was performed to exorcise the demons from the village.

Etymology

From Middle English exorcisen, exorzisen, from Medieval Latin exorcizō, from Ancient Greek ἐξορκίζω (exorkízō, “to banish an evil spirit; bind by oath”), from ἐξ (ex) + ὅρκος (hórkos). Compare Old French exorciser.

This word in other languages

exorciser(Français)exorzieren(Deutsch)exorcizar(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "exorcise"?
"exorcise" is spelled E-X-O-R-C-I-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɛk.sɔː.saɪz/.
What does "exorcise" mean?
As a verb, "exorcise" means: To drive out (an evil spirit) from a person, place or thing, especially by an incantation or prayer.
How do you pronounce "exorcise"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "exorcise" is /ˈɛk.sɔː.saɪz/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "exorcise"?
From Middle English exorcisen, exorzisen, from Medieval Latin exorcizō, from Ancient Greek ἐξορκίζω (exorkízō, “to banish an evil spirit; bind by oath”), from ἐξ (ex) + ὅρκος (hórkos). Compare Old French exorciser. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "exorcise", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

farmyard#58,685ellipses#58,663effusion#58,656flatness#58,695

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list