# Shenism

> English word · Proper noun · IPA /ˈʃɛnɪzəm/

## Definitions
1. Synonym of Chinese folk religion

## Etymology
Coined by British anthropologist Alan J. A. Elliott in 1955 in his book Chinese Spirit-Medium Cults in Singapore, from Chinese 神 (shén, “god, deity, spirit”) + -ism.

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