# exorcism

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈɛk.sɔː.sɪ.zəm/ · frequency rank #33,227

## Definitions
1. The ritual act of driving out evil spirits from persons, places or things that are possessed by them.

## Etymology
From Old French exorciser, from Late Latin exorcizō, from Ancient Greek ἐξορκίζω (exorkízō, “to ward off, to charge under oath, adjure”), from ἐξ (ex) + ὅρκος (hórkos).

## Easily confused with
- **exorcist** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/exorcism-vs-exorcist)
- **exercise** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/exercise-vs-exorcism)

## Common misspellings (12)
`eoxrcism`, `exocrism`, `exorccism`, `exorcims`, `exorcismm`, `exorcissm`, `exorcsim`, `exoricsm`, `exorrcism`, `exrocism`, `exxorcism`, `xeorcism`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/exorcism