Superstition, the Glossary
A superstition is any belief or practice considered by non-practitioners to be irrational or supernatural, attributed to fate or magic, perceived supernatural influence, or fear of that which is unknown.[1]
Table of Contents
100 relations: Actor, Aeromancy, Age of Enlightenment, Amulet, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Antireligion, Astrology, Audition, B. F. Skinner, Baruch Spinoza, Belief, Book of Revelation, Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, Catechism of the Catholic Church, China, Cicero, Classical antiquity, Classical Latin, Cleromancy, Columbidae, Consumer behaviour, COVID-19 pandemic, Curse of the Bambino, Dale Martin (scholar), Dance, De Natura Deorum, De rerum natura, Dead metaphor, Desdemona, Destiny, Divination, Divine providence, Doctrine, Dual process theory, Egyptian days, Encyclopédie, Ennius, Extinction (psychology), Fear, Feng shui, Fifteen Signs before Doomsday, Folk belief, Folklore studies, Fortune-telling, Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, Gecko, Geomancy, Haruspex, Heuristic (psychology), ... Expand index (50 more) »
Actor
An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a production.
Aeromancy
Aeromancy (from Greek ἀήρ aḗr, "air", and manteia, "divination") is divination that is conducted by interpreting atmospheric conditions.
See Superstition and Aeromancy
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment (also the Age of Reason and the Enlightenment) was the intellectual and philosophical movement that occurred in Europe in the 17th and the 18th centuries.
See Superstition and Age of Enlightenment
Amulet
An amulet, also known as a good luck charm or phylactery, is an object believed to confer protection upon its possessor.
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece (Hellás) was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity, that comprised a loose collection of culturally and linguistically related city-states and other territories.
See Superstition and Ancient Greece
Ancient Rome
In modern historiography, ancient Rome is the Roman civilisation from the founding of the Italian city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD.
See Superstition and Ancient Rome
Antireligion
Antireligion is opposition to religion or traditional religious beliefs and practices.
See Superstition and Antireligion
Astrology
Astrology is a range of divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that propose that information about human affairs and terrestrial events may be discerned by studying the apparent positions of celestial objects.
See Superstition and Astrology
Audition
An audition is a sample performance by an actor, singer, musician, dancer or other performer.
B. F. Skinner
Burrhus Frederic Skinner (March 20, 1904 – August 18, 1990) was an American psychologist, behaviorist, inventor, and social philosopher.
See Superstition and B. F. Skinner
Baruch Spinoza
Baruch (de) Spinoza (24 November 163221 February 1677), also known under his Latinized pen name Benedictus de Spinoza, was a philosopher of Portuguese-Jewish origin.
See Superstition and Baruch Spinoza
Belief
A belief is a subjective attitude that a proposition is true or a state of affairs is the case.
Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation or Book of the Apocalypse is the final book of the New Testament (and therefore the final book of the Christian Bible).
See Superstition and Book of Revelation
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
The Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary (abbreviated CALD) is a British dictionary of the English language.
See Superstition and Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (Catechismus Catholicae Ecclesiae; commonly called the Catechism or the CCC) is a reference work that summarizes the Catholic Church's doctrine.
See Superstition and Catechism of the Catholic Church
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia.
Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero (3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, writer and Academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the establishment of the Roman Empire.
Classical antiquity
Classical antiquity, also known as the classical era, classical period, classical age, or simply antiquity, is the period of cultural European history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD comprising the interwoven civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome known together as the Greco-Roman world, centered on the Mediterranean Basin.
See Superstition and Classical antiquity
Classical Latin
Classical Latin is the form of Literary Latin recognized as a literary standard by writers of the late Roman Republic and early Roman Empire.
See Superstition and Classical Latin
Cleromancy
Cleromancy is a form of sortition (casting of lots) in which an outcome is determined by means that normally would be considered random, such as the rolling of dice (astragalomancy), but that are sometimes believed to reveal the will of a deity.
See Superstition and Cleromancy
Columbidae
Columbidae is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons.
See Superstition and Columbidae
Consumer behaviour
Consumer behaviour is the study of individuals, groups, or organisations and all the activities associated with the purchase, use and disposal of goods and services.
See Superstition and Consumer behaviour
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.
See Superstition and COVID-19 pandemic
Curse of the Bambino
The Curse of the Bambino was a superstitious sports curse in Major League Baseball (MLB) derived from the 86-year championship drought of the Boston Red Sox between and.
See Superstition and Curse of the Bambino
Dale Martin (scholar)
Dale Basil Martin (July 26, 1954 - November 17, 2023) was an American New Testament scholar and historian of Christianity.
See Superstition and Dale Martin (scholar)
Dance
Dance is an art form, often classified as a sport, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected.
De Natura Deorum
De Natura Deorum (On the Nature of the Gods) is a philosophical dialogue by Roman Academic Skeptic philosopher Cicero written in 45 BC.
See Superstition and De Natura Deorum
De rerum natura
(On the Nature of Things) is a first-century BC didactic poem by the Roman poet and philosopher Lucretius with the goal of explaining Epicurean philosophy to a Roman audience.
See Superstition and De rerum natura
A dead metaphor is a figure of speech which has lost the original imagery of its meaning by extensive, repetitive, and popular usage, or because it refers to an obsolete technology or forgotten custom.
See Superstition and Dead metaphor
Desdemona
Desdemona is a character in William Shakespeare's play Othello (c.
See Superstition and Desdemona
Destiny
Destiny, sometimes also called fate, is a predetermined course of events.
Divination
Divination is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic ritual or practice. Superstition and Divination are magic (supernatural) and superstitions.
See Superstition and Divination
Divine providence
In theology, divine providence, or simply providence, is God's intervention in the Universe.
See Superstition and Divine providence
Doctrine
Doctrine (from doctrina, meaning "teaching, instruction") is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the essence of teachings in a given branch of knowledge or in a belief system.
Dual process theory
In psychology, a dual process theory provides an account of how thought can arise in two different ways, or as a result of two different processes.
See Superstition and Dual process theory
Egyptian days
During the Middle Ages in Europe, Egyptian days (dies Ægyptiaci) were certain days of the year held to be unlucky. Superstition and Egyptian days are superstitions.
See Superstition and Egyptian days
Encyclopédie
Encyclopedia, or a Systematic Dictionary of the Sciences, Arts and Crafts, better known as Encyclopédie, was a general encyclopedia published in France between 1751 and 1772, with later supplements, revised editions, and translations.
See Superstition and Encyclopédie
Ennius
Quintus Ennius was a writer and poet who lived during the Roman Republic.
Extinction (psychology)
Extinction is a behavioral phenomenon observed in both operantly conditioned and classically conditioned behavior, which manifests itself by fading of non-reinforced conditioned response over time.
See Superstition and Extinction (psychology)
Fear
Fear is an intensely unpleasant primal emotion in response to perceiving or recognizing a danger or threat.
Feng shui
Feng shui, sometimes called Chinese geomancy, is a traditional practice that originated in Ancient China and claims to use energy forces to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment. Superstition and Feng shui are superstitions.
See Superstition and Feng shui
Fifteen Signs before Doomsday
The Fifteen Signs before Doomsday (alternatively known as the Fifteen Signs of Doomsday, Fifteen Signs before Judgement, in Latin Quindecim Signa ante Judicium, and in German 15 Vorzeichen des Jüngsten Gerichts) is a list, popular in the Middle Ages because of millenarianism, of the events that are supposed to occur in the fortnight before the end of the world.
See Superstition and Fifteen Signs before Doomsday
Folk belief
In folkloristics, folk belief or folk-belief is a broad genre of folklore that is often expressed in narratives, customs, rituals, foodways, proverbs, and rhymes.
See Superstition and Folk belief
Folklore studies
Folklore studies (less often known as folkloristics, and occasionally tradition studies or folk life studies in the United Kingdom) is the branch of anthropology devoted to the study of folklore.
See Superstition and Folklore studies
Fortune-telling
Fortune telling is the unproven spiritual practice of predicting information about a person's life.
See Superstition and Fortune-telling
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II (German: Friedrich; Italian: Federico; Latin: Fridericus; 26 December 1194 – 13 December 1250) was King of Sicily from 1198, King of Germany from 1212, King of Italy and Holy Roman Emperor from 1220 and King of Jerusalem from 1225.
See Superstition and Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Gecko
Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous lizards that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except Antarctica.
Geomancy
Geomancy translates literally to "earth divination," and the term was originally used to mean methods of divination that interpret geographic features, markings on the ground, or the patterns formed by soil, rocks, or sand.
Haruspex
In the religion of ancient Rome, a haruspex was a person trained to practise a form of divination called haruspicy, the inspection of the entrails of sacrificed animals, especially the livers of sacrificed sheep and poultry.
Heuristic (psychology)
Heuristics (from Ancient Greek εὑρίσκω, heurískō, "I find, discover") is the process by which humans use mental shortcuts to arrive at decisions.
See Superstition and Heuristic (psychology)
Idiom
An idiom is a phrase or expression that usually presents a figurative, non-literal meaning attached to the phrase.
Incantation
An incantation, a spell, a charm, an enchantment, or a bewitchery, is a magical formula intended to trigger a magical effect on a person or objects. Superstition and incantation are magic (supernatural).
See Superstition and Incantation
Indiana University Press
Indiana University Press, also known as IU Press, is an academic publisher founded in 1950 at Indiana University that specializes in the humanities and social sciences.
See Superstition and Indiana University Press
Instrumentum regni
Instrumentum regni (literally, "instrument of monarchy", therefore "of government") is a Latin phrase perhaps inspired by Tacitus, used to express the exploitation of religion by State or ecclesiastical polity as a means of controlling the masses, or in particular to achieve political and mundane ends. Superstition and Instrumentum regni are superstitions.
See Superstition and Instrumentum regni
Irrationality
Irrationality is cognition, thinking, talking, or acting without rationality.
See Superstition and Irrationality
Judicial astrology
Judicial astrology is the art of forecasting events by calculation of the planetary and stellar bodies and their relationship to the Earth.
See Superstition and Judicial astrology
Life (magazine)
Life is an American magazine published weekly from 1883 to 1972, as an intermittent "special" until 1978, a monthly from 1978 until 2000, and an online supplement since 2008.
See Superstition and Life (magazine)
List of bad luck signs
Bad luck is an unpredictable outcome that is unfortunate.
See Superstition and List of bad luck signs
Livy
Titus Livius (59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy, was a Roman historian.
Luck
Luck is the phenomenon and belief that defines the experience of improbable events, especially improbably positive or negative ones. Superstition and Luck are superstitions.
Lucretius
Titus Lucretius Carus (–) was a Roman poet and philosopher.
See Superstition and Lucretius
Lunary
A lunary (from Latin lunarium), also called a selenodromion or moonbook, is a book of prognostication based on the position of the moon at any given time.
Magic (supernatural)
Magic is an ancient practice rooted in rituals, spiritual divinations, and/or cultural lineage—with an intention to invoke, manipulate, or otherwise manifest supernatural forces, beings, or entities in the natural world. Superstition and Magic (supernatural) are superstitions.
See Superstition and Magic (supernatural)
Martin Luther
Martin Luther (10 November 1483– 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and Augustinian friar.
See Superstition and Martin Luther
Merriam-Webster
Merriam-Webster, Incorporated is an American company that publishes reference books and is mostly known for its dictionaries.
See Superstition and Merriam-Webster
Mirror
A mirror, also known as a looking glass, is an object that reflects an image.
Musician
A musician is one who composes, conducts, or performs music.
Natural selection
Natural selection is the differential survival and reproduction of individuals due to differences in phenotype.
See Superstition and Natural selection
Necromancy
Necromancy is the practice of magic involving communication with the dead by summoning their spirits as apparitions or visions for the purpose of divination; imparting the means to foretell future events and discover hidden knowledge. Superstition and Necromancy are magic (supernatural).
See Superstition and Necromancy
Number of the beast
The number of the beast (Ἀριθμὸς τοῦ θηρίου) is associated with the Beast of Revelation in chapter 13, verse 18 of the Book of Revelation.
See Superstition and Number of the beast
Omen
An omen (also called portent) is a phenomenon that is believed to foretell the future, often signifying the advent of change. Superstition and omen are superstitions.
On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church
Prelude on the Babylonian Captivity of the Church (De captivitate Babylonica ecclesiae, praeludium Martini Lutheri, October 1520) was the second of the three major treatises published by Martin Luther in 1520, coming after the Address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation (August 1520) and before On the Freedom of a Christian (November 1520).
See Superstition and On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church
Ovid
Publius Ovidius Naso (20 March 43 BC – AD 17/18), known in English as Ovid, was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus.
Oxford English Dictionary
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is the principal historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP), a University of Oxford publishing house.
See Superstition and Oxford English Dictionary
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford.
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Paganism
Paganism (from classical Latin pāgānus "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism.
Paranormal
Paranormal events are purported phenomena described in popular culture, folk, and other non-scientific bodies of knowledge, whose existence within these contexts is described as being beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding.
See Superstition and Paranormal
Paul the Apostle
Paul (Koinē Greek: Παῦλος, romanized: Paûlos), also named Saul of Tarsus (Aramaic: ܫܐܘܠ, romanized: Šāʾūl), commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle (AD) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world.
See Superstition and Paul the Apostle
Performing arts
The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience.
See Superstition and Performing arts
Plautus
Titus Maccius Plautus (254 – 184 BC) was a Roman playwright of the Old Latin period.
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/24 AD 79), called Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, natural philosopher, naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the emperor Vespasian.
See Superstition and Pliny the Elder
Polybius
Polybius (Πολύβιος) was a Greek historian of the middle Hellenistic period.
Polytheism
Polytheism is the belief in or worship of more than one god.
See Superstition and Polytheism
Prophecy
In religion, a prophecy is a message that has been communicated to a person (typically called a prophet) by a supernatural entity.
Rationalism
In philosophy, rationalism is the epistemological view that "regards reason as the chief source and test of knowledge" or "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification",Lacey, A.R. (1996), A Dictionary of Philosophy, 1st edition, Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1976.
See Superstition and Rationalism
Reinforcement
In behavioral psychology, reinforcement refers to consequences that increase the likelihood of an organism's future behavior, typically in the presence of a particular antecedent stimulus.
See Superstition and Reinforcement
Renaissance
The Renaissance is a period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries.
See Superstition and Renaissance
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the state ruled by the Romans following Octavian's assumption of sole rule under the Principate in 27 BC, the post-Republican state of ancient Rome.
See Superstition and Roman Empire
Sin
In a religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law or a law of the deities.
Skeptical Inquirer
Skeptical Inquirer is a bimonthly American general-audience magazine published by the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) with the subtitle: The Magazine for Science and Reason.
See Superstition and Skeptical Inquirer
Spirit (animating force)
In philosophy and religion, spirit is the vital principle or animating essence within humans or, in some views, all living things.
See Superstition and Spirit (animating force)
Stuart Vyse
Stuart Vyse is an American psychologist, teacher, speaker and author who specializes in belief in superstitions and critical thinking.
See Superstition and Stuart Vyse
Supernatural
Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature.
See Superstition and Supernatural
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments (עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים|ʿĂsereṯ haDəḇārīm|The Ten Words), or the Decalogue (from Latin decalogus, from Ancient Greek label), are religious and ethical directives, structured as a covenant document, that, according to the Hebrew Bible, are given by Yahweh to Moses.
See Superstition and Ten Commandments
Tetraphobia
Tetraphobia is the practice of avoiding instances of the digit.
See Superstition and Tetraphobia
The Histories (Polybius)
Polybius' Histories (Ἱστορίαι Historíai) were originally written in 40 volumes, only the first five of which are extant in their entirety.
See Superstition and The Histories (Polybius)
Theatre
Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage.
Trial by ordeal
Trial by ordeal was an ancient judicial practice by which the guilt or innocence of the accused (called a "proband") was determined by subjecting them to a painful, or at least an unpleasant, usually dangerous experience.
See Superstition and Trial by ordeal
Triskaidekaphobia
Triskaidekaphobia is fear or avoidance of the number.
See Superstition and Triskaidekaphobia
Trust is the belief that another person will do what is expected.
See Superstition and Trust (social science)
References
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superstition
Also known as Religion and superstition, Supersticious, Superstition/Revised, Superstitions, Superstitious, Superstitious belief, Superstitious beliefs, Superstitious reinforcement.
, Idiom, Incantation, Indiana University Press, Instrumentum regni, Irrationality, Judicial astrology, Life (magazine), List of bad luck signs, Livy, Luck, Lucretius, Lunary, Magic (supernatural), Martin Luther, Merriam-Webster, Mirror, Musician, Natural selection, Necromancy, Number of the beast, Omen, On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church, Ovid, Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, Paganism, Paranormal, Paul the Apostle, Performing arts, Plautus, Pliny the Elder, Polybius, Polytheism, Prophecy, Rationalism, Reinforcement, Renaissance, Roman Empire, Sin, Skeptical Inquirer, Spirit (animating force), Stuart Vyse, Supernatural, Ten Commandments, Tetraphobia, The Histories (Polybius), Theatre, Trial by ordeal, Triskaidekaphobia, Trust (social science).