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Man's mind is like a store of idolatry and superstition; so much so that if a man believes his own mind it is certain that he will forsake God and forge some idol in his own brain.
John Calvin

Meaning of "superstition" in the English dictionary

Dictionary
DICTIONARY
section

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD SUPERSTITION

From Latin superstitiō dread of the supernatural, from superstāre to stand still by something (as in amazement).
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Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.
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PRONUNCIATION OF SUPERSTITION

superstition  [ˌsuːpəˈstɪʃən] play
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GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF SUPERSTITION

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Superstition is a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

WHAT DOES SUPERSTITION MEAN IN ENGLISH?

superstition

Superstition

Superstition is the belief in supernatural causality—that one event leads to the cause of another without any natural process linking the two events—such as astrology, religion, omens, witchcraft, prophecies, etc., that contradicts natural science. Opposition to superstition was central to 17th century Rationalist Benedict de Spinoza and the intellectuals of the 18th century Age of Enlightenment. The philosophes at that time rejected any belief in miracles, revelation, magic, or the supernatural, as "superstition," as well as unreasoned Christian doctrine. The word superstition is sometimes used to refer to religious practices other than the one prevailing in a given society, although the prevailing religion may contain just as many superstitious beliefs. It is also commonly applied to beliefs and practices surrounding luck, prophecy and spiritual beings, particularly the belief that future events can be foretold by specific unrelated prior events.

Definition of superstition in the English dictionary

The first definition of superstition in the dictionary is irrational belief usually founded on ignorance or fear and characterized by obsessive reverence for omens, charms, etc. Other definition of superstition is a notion, act or ritual that derives from such belief. Superstition is also any irrational belief, esp with regard to the unknown.

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH SUPERSTITION


acoustician
ˌækʊˈstɪʃən
aeroelastician
ˌɛərəʊɪlæˈstɪʃən
beautician
bjuːˈtɪʃən
biostatistician
ˌbaɪəʊˌstætɪˈstɪʃən
competition
ˌkɒmpɪˈtɪʃən
dentition
dɛnˈtɪʃən
dietician
ˌdaɪɪˈtɪʃən
dietitian
ˌdaɪɪˈtɪʃən
esthetician
ˌiːsθɪˈtɪʃən
informatician
ɪnˌfɔːməˈtɪʃən
logistician
ˌlɒdʒɪˈstɪʃən
mathematician
ˌmæθəməˈtɪʃən
optician
ɒpˈtɪʃən
partition
pɑːˈtɪʃən
petition
pɪˈtɪʃən
politician
ˌpɒlɪˈtɪʃən
repetition
ˌrɛpɪˈtɪʃən
statistician
ˌstætɪˈstɪʃən
tactician
tækˈtɪʃən
Titian
ˈtɪʃən

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE SUPERSTITION

superstar
superstardom
superstate
superstation
superstimulate
superstitious
superstitiously
superstitiousness
superstore
superstorm
superstrata
superstratum
superstrength
superstring
superstrong
superstruct
superstruction
superstructive
superstructural
superstructure

WORDS THAT END LIKE SUPERSTITION

accreditation
acquisition
addition
audition
composition
condition
definition
disposition
edition
exhibition
expedition
in a position
in addition
in mint condition
limited edition
nutrition
opposition
position
recognition
tradition
transition

Synonyms and antonyms of superstition in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

SYNONYMS OF «SUPERSTITION»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «superstition» and belong to the same grammatical category.
synonyms of superstition

Translation of «superstition» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF SUPERSTITION

Find out the translation of superstition to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of superstition from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «superstition» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

迷信
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

superstición
570 millions of speakers

English

superstition
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

अंधविश्वास
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

الخرافة
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

суеверия
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

superstição
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

কুসংস্কার
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

superstition
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Takhayul
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

Aberglaube
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

迷信
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

미신
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Superstition
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

mê tín dị đoan
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

மூடநம்பிக்கை
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

अंधश्रद्धा
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

batıl inanç
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

superstizione
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

przesąd
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

забобони
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

superstiție
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

δεισιδαιμονία
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

bygeloof
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

vidskepelse
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

overtro
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of superstition

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «SUPERSTITION»

The term «superstition» is quite widely used and occupies the 31.094 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Quite widely used
86
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «superstition» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of superstition
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «superstition».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «SUPERSTITION» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «superstition» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «superstition» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about superstition

EXAMPLES

10 QUOTES WITH «SUPERSTITION»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word superstition.
1
David Almond
My work explores the frontier between rationalism and superstition and the wavering boundary between the two.
2
Criss Angel
I like to say magic is the world's second oldest profession, a mystical and often awe-inspiring spectacle that, throughout the ages, has blended superstition, trickery and religion.
3
Isaac Asimov
Humanity has the stars in its future, and that future is too important to be lost under the burden of juvenile folly and ignorant superstition.
4
Bernard Beckett
Human spirit is the ability to face the uncertainty of the future with curiosity and optimism. It is the belief that problems can be solved, differences resolved. It is a type of confidence. And it is fragile. It can be blackened by fear and superstition.
5
Bernard Beckett
Superstition is the need to view the world in terms of simple cause and effect.
6
Jose Bergamin
A belief which leaves no place for doubt is not a belief; it is a superstition.
7
Conrad Black
A quest for knowledge is not a war with faith; spirituality is not usually an infelicitous amalgam of superstition and philistinism; and moral relativism, taken outside midfield, leads inexorably both to heresy and to secular wickedness, which are often identical.
8
Edmund Burke
Superstition is the religion of feeble minds.
9
John Calvin
Man's mind is like a store of idolatry and superstition; so much so that if a man believes his own mind it is certain that he will forsake God and forge some idol in his own brain.
10
James F. Cooper
Ignorance and superstition ever bear a close and mathematical relation to each other.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «SUPERSTITION»

Discover the use of superstition in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to superstition and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition - Updated ...
In this fully updated edition of Believing in Magic, renowned superstition expert Stuart Vyse investigates our tendency towards these irrational beliefs.
Stuart A. Vyse, 2013
2
Higher Superstition: The Academic Left and Its Quarrels with ...
" This paperback edition of Higher Superstition includes a new afterword by the authors.
Paul R. Gross, Norman Levitt, 2011
3
Superstition: Belief in the Age of Science
Compelling and precise, Superstition takes no hostages in its quest to provoke. In shedding light on some very sensitive--and Park would say scientifically dubious--issues, the book is sure to spark discussion and controversy.
Robert L. Park, 2008
4
The Last Superstition: A Refutation of the New Atheism
Argues that "new atheism" is based on an unfounded "mechanical" view of the world and the "teleological" vision of the ancient philosophers is rationally vindicated.
Edward Feser, 2010
5
Superstition
Discusses the meaning and causes of superstition, and offers a rational examination of astrology, fortune-telling, prophesies, spiritualism, and magic
Felix E. Planer, 1988
6
Magic and Superstition in Europe: A Concise History from ...
The only comprehensive, single-volume survey of magic available, this compelling book traces the history of magic and superstition in Europe from antiquity to the present.
Michael David Bailey, 2007
7
Religion and Superstition in Reformation Europe
What, in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, was ‘superstition’? Where might it be found, and how might it be countered? How was the term used, and how effective a weapon was it in the assault on traditional religion?
Helen Parish, William G. Naphy, 2002
8
Jewish Magic and Superstition: A Study in Folk Religion
The volume begins with legends of Jewish sorcery and proceeds to discuss beliefs about the evil eye, spirits of the dead, powers of good, the famous legend of the golem, procedures for casting spells, the use of gems and amulets, how to ...
Joshua Trachtenberg, 2012
9
Inventing Superstition: From the Hippocratics to the Christians
"Inventing Superstition" weaves a powerfully coherent argument that will transform our understanding of religion in Greek and Roman culture and the wider ancient Mediterranean world.
Dale B. MARTIN, Dale B Martin, 2009
10
Superstition
There were centuries of darkness when religion had control of Christendom. Superstition was almost universal. Not one in twenty thousand could read or write.
Robert Gr Ingersoll, 2006

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «SUPERSTITION»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term superstition is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Superstition flourishes as Chinese officials look to soothsayers amid …
Li was later accused by the party of abusing his position to engage in "feudalistic and superstitious acts", without further elaboration. He has also not been ... «South China Morning Post, Jul 15»
2
Kerala plans law against superstition
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala government plans to bring out an anti-superstition legislation, but wants consensus in society to curb cruel practises held in ... «Times of India, Jul 15»
3
Apache Junction district to close elementary school
Superstition Mountain Elementary School will close at the end of this school year. The district held a meeting with parents about the potential closure last month, ... «azcentral.com, Mar 15»
4
Remove superstition about mental illness: Modi to doctors at …
Citing lack of knowledge and awareness and superstition as the challenges in the field of mental health, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today asked young ... «Deccan Herald, Feb 15»
5
Friday the 13th: What's the history behind the superstition?
Today is the first of three Fridays this year that will fall on the 13 day of the month, but where does our superstition surrounding Friday the 13, known as ... «The Independent, Feb 15»
6
Friday The 13th: History Of The Unlucky Day And 13 Superstitions
Though the origin of this superstition is unclear, some studies show that the superstition with the number 13 can be traced back to 1700 BC. While indication of ... «Tech Times, Feb 15»
7
Superstition times 3: 2015 calendar has 3 Friday the 13ths
Each year has at least one Friday the 13th, but there can be as many as three. 2012 was the last year with three Friday the 13ths; the next will be 2026. Here's a ... «Yahoo News UK, Feb 15»
8
When Do We Turn to Superstition and Charms?
Many people seem to have a lucky charm, maybe a lucky pair of socks or a piece of jewelry. New research shows that we are more likely to turn to superstitions ... «PsychCentral.com, Jan 15»
9
Snow brings visitors to Superstition Mountains
APACHE JUNCTION, AZ - Hundreds of people made the trek to the Superstition Mountains New Year's Day. One native Arizonan said she “didn't even know it ... «ABC15.com, Jan 15»
10
To Investigate Murder of Anti-Superstition Crusader, Pune Cops …
Pune: Narendra Dabholkar, who spent his life crusading against superstition and religious charlatans, was shot dead in Pune in August last year. To investigate ... «NDTV, Jul 14»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Superstition [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/superstition>. Apr 2024 ».
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