Meanings
plural mysticisms
- countableuncountableThe beliefs, ideas, or thoughts of mystics.
- countableuncountableA doctrine of direct communication or spiritual intuition of divine truth.
1 more example
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.
1902, William James, “Lecture I”, in The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature […] , New York, N.Y.; London: Longmans, Green, and Co. […], →OCLC - countableuncountablehuman sciencesA transcendental union of soul or mind with the divine reality or divinity.
- countableuncountableObscure thoughts and speculations.
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna religion based on mystical communion with an ultimate reality
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekμυστικός“secret, mystic”
- Latinmysticus“mystical, mystic, of secret rites”
- Old Frenchmistique“mysterious, full of mystery”
- Englishmysticism
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.
More words from Old French, Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian мистицизъм, мистика
- мистицизъм (misticizăm)beliefs and ideas of mystics
- мистика (mistika)obscure thoughts and speculations
Catalan misticisme, misticisme
- misticismebeliefs and ideas of mystics
- misticismedoctrine of direct communication of divine truth
Chinese Mandarin 神秘主義 /神秘主义, 神秘主義 /神秘主义
- 神秘主義 /神秘主义 (shénmìzhǔyì)beliefs and ideas of mystics
- 神秘主義 /神秘主义 (shénmìzhǔyì)doctrine of direct communication of divine truth
- 神秘主義 /神秘主义 (shénmìzhǔyì)transcendental union of soul with the divinity
- 神秘主義 /神秘主义 (shénmìzhǔyì)obscure thoughts and speculations
Esperanto mistikismo
- mistikismotranscendental union of soul with the divinity
Finnish mystisismi, mystiikka
- mystisismibeliefs and ideas of mystics
- mystiikkadoctrine of direct communication of divine truth
- yhteys jumaluuteentranscendental union of soul with the divinity
- mystiikkaobscure thoughts and speculations
French mysticisme
- mysticismebeliefs and ideas of mystics
German Mystik, Mystizismus
- Mystikbeliefs and ideas of mystics
- Mystizismusbeliefs and ideas of mystics
- Mystikdoctrine of direct communication of divine truth
- Mystizismusdoctrine of direct communication of divine truth
- Mystiktranscendental union of soul with the divinity
- Mystizismustranscendental union of soul with the divinity
- Mystizismusobscure thoughts and speculations
Greek μυστικισμός, μυστικισμός
- μυστικισμός (mystikismós)beliefs and ideas of mystics
- μυστικισμός (mystikismós)doctrine of direct communication of divine truth
- μυστικοπάθεια (mystikopátheia)obscure thoughts and speculations
Hebrew מִיסְטִיקָה
- מִיסְטִיקָה (místika)beliefs and ideas of mystics
Italian misticismo, misticismo
- misticismobeliefs and ideas of mystics
- misticismodoctrine of direct communication of divine truth
- misticismotranscendental union of soul with the divinity
Japanese 神秘主義
- 神秘主義 (shinpishugi)beliefs and ideas of mystics
Norwegian Bokmål mystikk, mystisisme
- mystikkbeliefs and ideas of mystics
- mystisismebeliefs and ideas of mystics
- mystikkdoctrine of direct communication of divine truth
- mystisismedoctrine of direct communication of divine truth
- mystikktranscendental union of soul with the divinity
- mystisismetranscendental union of soul with the divinity
Persian عرفان
- عرفانbeliefs and ideas of mystics
Polish mistycyzm, mistycyzm
- mistycyzmbeliefs and ideas of mystics
- mistycyzmdoctrine of direct communication of divine truth
- mistycyzmtranscendental union of soul with the divinity
- mistycyzmobscure thoughts and speculations
Portuguese misticismo, misticismo
- misticismobeliefs and ideas of mystics
- misticismodoctrine of direct communication of divine truth
- misticismotranscendental union of soul with the divinity
- misticismoobscure thoughts and speculations
Russian мистици́зм, мистици́зм
- мистици́зм (misticízm)beliefs and ideas of mystics
- мистици́зм (misticízm)doctrine of direct communication of divine truth
- мистици́зм (misticízm)transcendental union of soul with the divinity
- мистици́зм (misticízm)obscure thoughts and speculations
Spanish misticismo, misticismo
- misticismobeliefs and ideas of mystics
- misticismodoctrine of direct communication of divine truth
Thai รหัสยลัทธิ
- รหัสยลัทธิbeliefs and ideas of mystics
Turkish mistisizm, gizemcilik
- mistisizmbeliefs and ideas of mystics
- gizemcilikbeliefs and ideas of mystics
- mistisizmdoctrine of direct communication of divine truth
- gizemcilikdoctrine of direct communication of divine truth
- mistisizmtranscendental union of soul with the divinity
- gizemciliktranscendental union of soul with the divinity
- mistisizmobscure thoughts and speculations
- gizemcilikobscure thoughts and speculations
Ukrainian містици́зм, містици́зм
- містици́зм (mistycýzm)beliefs and ideas of mystics
- містици́зм (mistycýzm)doctrine of direct communication of divine truth
- містици́зм (mistycýzm)transcendental union of soul with the divinity
Yiddish מיסטיציזם
- מיסטיציזם (mistitsizm)beliefs and ideas of mystics
Cite this entry
mysticism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mysticism
“mysticism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mysticism. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mysticism,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mysticism.
Source: mysticism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.