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shaman

SHAH-mun /ˈʃɑː.mən/

nounC1GRETOEFL

generalacademic

A practitioner who acts as an intermediary between the natural and supernatural worlds, entering altered states of consciousness to heal or divine.

Refers to a community healer and ritualist operating within animistic contexts, distinct from ordained priests in institutional religions.

The story behind the word. Entered Western languages through Russian travelers describing Evenki spirit practitioners in Siberia during the 17th century. The Evenki word 'šaman' translates roughly to 'one who knows'.

Word relationships

medicine man: Medicine man is an informal regional term historically used in North America, whereas shaman is the broader global academic term.
healer: Healer is a broader umbrella term that includes non-spiritual traditional practitioners.

Commonly confused with

priest: A priest operates within a structured institutional religion with formal dogma, while a shaman operates through direct personal interaction with spirits.

Word family

shamanic (adjective): Relating to shamans or shamanism.
shamanism (noun): The practice of shamanic beliefs.

Collocations

village shaman
shamanic ritual
shamanistic practice
shaman's journey

Example sentences

"The shaman performed an all-night chant to restore harmony between the sick patient and the forest spirits." Anthropology
"Artifacts found in the cave suggested that a shaman had used bone rattles during healing rituals thousands of years ago." Historical religious study

Memory hook

SHAMAN = SHadow MAN who journeys into unseen spirit realms. Healer who knows spirit worlds.

When not to use

Do not use loosely for modern magicians, entertainers, or secular doctors.

Fun facts

Siberian shamanism is considered by many anthropologists to be the classical archetype from which the term was derived.

Related words

ritual, divination, animism

Explore more words

oracle, ordain, deity, shrine, paganism, occult