mysticism

C2 Topic:Religion & Belief

US /ˈməs.təˌsəz.əm/ UK /ˈmɪs.tɪˌsɪz.əm/ See IPA manual

Freq #34688

Meanings

1

noun
A doctrine of direct communication or spiritual intuition of divine truth.

In the history of Christian mysticism the problem how to discriminate between such messages and experiences as were really divine miracles, and such others as the demon in his malice was able to counterfeit, thus making the religious person twofold more the child of hell he was before, has always been a difficult one to solve, needing all the sagacity and experience of the best directors of conscience.
2

noun
obscure or irrational thought
3

noun
a religion based on mystical communion with an ultimate reality
4

noun
The beliefs, ideas, or thoughts of mystics.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

3 noun · a religion based on... religious mysticism

Opposites

rationalism

Word family

Derived forms synchromysticism

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

religious mysticism
religious belief or practice centered on direct communion with an ultimate reality

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From mystic + -ism, from Old French mistique (“mysterious, full of mystery”), from Latin mysticus (“mystical, mystic, of secret rites”), from Ancient Greek μυστικός (mustikós, “secret, mystic”), from μύστης (mústēs, “one who has been initiated, initiate”) from μῡ́ω (mū́ō, “to close one's lips or eyes; initiate into the mysteries”). Compare Asturian misticismu, Catalan misticisme, French mysticisme, German Mystizismus, Italian misticismo, Portuguese misticismo, Sicilian misticisimu, Spanish misticismo.

Topics

Religion & Belief Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# mysticism

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈməs.təˌsəz.əm/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈmɪs.tɪˌsɪz.əm/
**Frequency rank:** 34688

## Meanings
1. A doctrine of direct communication or spiritual intuition of divine truth.
2. obscure or irrational thought
3. a religion based on mystical communion with an ultimate reality
4. The beliefs, ideas, or thoughts of mystics.

## Examples
- In the history of Christian mysticism the problem how to discriminate between such messages and experiences as were really divine miracles, and such others as the demon in his malice was able to counterfeit, thus making the religious person twofold more the child of hell he was before, has always been a difficult one to solve, needing all the sagacity and experience of the best directors of conscience.

## Antonyms
- rationalism

## Derived Forms
- synchromysticism

## Etymology
From mystic + -ism, from Old French mistique (“mysterious, full of mystery”), from Latin mysticus (“mystical, mystic, of secret rites”), from Ancient Greek μυστικός (mustikós, “secret, mystic”), from μύστης (mústēs, “one who has been initiated, initiate”) from μῡ́ω (mū́ō, “to close one's lips or eyes; initiate into the mysteries”). Compare Asturian misticismu, Catalan misticisme, French mysticisme, German Mystizismus, Italian misticismo, Portuguese misticismo, Sicilian misticisimu, Spanish misticismo.

## Topics
- Religion & Belief
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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