metempsicose

/mɨ.tẽ.psi.ˈkɔ.zɨ/

//mɨ.tẽ.psi.ˈkɔ.zɨ// noun

The verdict

“metempsicose” is outside the top-ranked Portuguese vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency Portuguese
12
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - movimento cíclico por meio do qual um mesmo espírito, após a morte de seu antigo corpo, retorna sucessivamente à vida, animando outra estrutura viva, seja esta vegetal, mineral ou animal, não neces...

Key facts for metempsicose
PropertyValue
Headwordmetempsicose
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechNoun
IPA/mɨ.tẽ.psi.ˈkɔ.zɨ/
Letters12
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “metempsicose” sits in Portuguese frequency

metempsicose falls outside the top-100,000 ranked Portuguese words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The Portuguese entry for metempsicose is 12 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /mɨ.tẽ.psi.ˈkɔ.zɨ/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No misspelling variants are generated for metempsicose in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct Portuguese form is metempsicose, spelled M-E-T-E-M-P-S-I-C-O-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    movimento cíclico por meio do qual um mesmo espírito, após a morte de seu antigo corpo, retorna sucessivamente à vida, animando outra estrutura viva, seja esta vegetal, mineral ou animal, não necessariamente nesta ordem
  2. 2
    doutrina que professa essa crença, difundida pelo misticismo especulativo do orfismo e pitagorismo, e adotada por correntes filosóficas como o empedoclismo, platonismo e neoplatonismo; concepções semelhantes são encontradas tanto em religiões orientais como o budismo e o hinduísmo, quanto entre civilizações da Antigüidade (p.e. Egito e Pérsia), na pré-história e entre povos ditos "primitivos" como os esquimós. (deriv. por extensão de sentido.)
  3. 3
    reencarnação
  4. 4
    o mesmo que transmigração

Synonyms

reencarnaçãotransmigração da alma

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "metempsicose"?
"metempsicose" is spelled M-E-T-E-M-P-S-I-C-O-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /mɨ.tẽ.psi.ˈkɔ.zɨ/.
What does "metempsicose" mean?
As a noun, "metempsicose" means: movimento cíclico por meio do qual um mesmo espírito, após a morte de seu antigo corpo, retorna sucessivamente à vida, animando outra estrutura viva, seja esta vegetal, mineral ou animal, não neces...
How do you pronounce "metempsicose"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "metempsicose" is /mɨ.tẽ.psi.ˈkɔ.zɨ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "metempsicose" come from?
"metempsicose" is a Portuguese word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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.

Using “metempsicose”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct Portuguese spelling is M-E-T-E-M-P-S-I-C-O-S-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /mɨ.tẽ.psi.ˈkɔ.zɨ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more Portuguese words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Portuguese words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list