séance

noun

sé·​ance ˈsā-ˌän(t)s How to pronounce séance (audio)
-ˌäⁿs,
sā-ˈän(t)s,
-ˈäⁿs
1
2
: a spiritualist meeting to receive spirit communications

Examples of séance in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Curtis, a horror icon and recent Oscar-winning actress, fit the ball perfectly, playing an aesthetically similar version of the fan-favorite medium who greets riders amid a seance halfway through the Disney attraction. Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 27 July 2023 Rowena holds a seance one night to contact her dead daughter, with Hercule Poirot on-site to debunk the proceedings at the invitation of his mystery novelist friend Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey). Ars Staff, Ars Technica, 25 Dec. 2023 The play, presented by Center Theatre Group in association with IAMA Theatre Company, follows four teenage girls who attempt a seance to connect with the ghost of Pablo Escobar as part of their Dead Leaders Club. Steven Vargas, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2023 Other can’t-miss events include the Howl-o-ween Pet Parade, psychic readings and seances, and The Salem Psychic Fair & Witches’ Market. Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 3 Sep. 2023 The film is certainly claustrophobic, particularly the seance scene, led by Michelle Yeoh, which kicks the plot into gear. Matt Donnelly, Variety, 22 Sep. 2023 There’s a seance afoot, tailor-made for death in Venice. Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 14 Sep. 2023 Come with her to a seance on All Hallow’s Eve, where the famous medium Joyce Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh) will attempt to contact the late daughter of the singer Rowena Drake (Yellowstone‘s Kelly Reilly). David Fear, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2023 This time Poirot must get to the bottom of a murder during a Venetian seance. J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 16 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'séance.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, from Middle French, from seoir to sit, assemble, from Old French, from Latin sedēre — more at sit

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of séance was in 1803

Dictionary Entries Near séance

Cite this Entry

“Séance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/s%C3%A9ance. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

séance

noun
sé·​ance ˈsā-ˌän(t)s How to pronounce séance (audio)
1
: a meeting for discussion : session
2
: a meeting to receive the communications of spirits
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