mesmerism
/ˈmɛz.məˌɹɪz.əm/
"mesmerism" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“mesmerism” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 9
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The method or power of gaining control over someone's personality or actions, as in hypnosis or suggestion.
Corpus desk
Index EN-mesmerism · mesmerism · English
mesmerism · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 9 letters
- VOW-3 3 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "M" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
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.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | mesmerism |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈmɛz.məˌɹɪz.əm/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “mesmerism” in English
Rare enough to double-check
mesmerism is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈmɛz.məˌɹɪz.əm/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for mesmerism, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: From French mesmérisme, analysable as Mesmer + -ism; so called after Franz Anton Mesmer (1734–1815), a German physician who developed the animal magnetism theory. The correct English form is mesmerism, spelled M-E-S-M-E-R-I-S-M.
Definition
- 1The method or power of gaining control over someone's personality or actions, as in hypnosis or suggestion.
- 2The state induced by hypnotic methods (especially that of Mesmer himself).
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how mesmerism appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
What is the secret mesmerism which friendship possesses, and under the operation of which a person ordinarily sluggish, or cold, or timid, becomes wise, active, and resolute, in another's behalf?
...the fact stood proven that I had seen it in my vision. Lawks! ...When the magician's engagement closed there was but one person in the village who did not believe in mesmerism, and I was the one. All the others were converted, but I was to remain an implacable and unpersuadable disbeliever in mesmerism and hypnotism for close upon fifty years.
Etymology
From French mesmérisme, analysable as Mesmer + -ism; so called after Franz Anton Mesmer (1734–1815), a German physician who developed the animal magnetism theory.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.