shaman

noun

sha·​man ˈshä-mən 

ˈshā-,

 also  shə-ˈmän

plural shamans

1

: a priest or priestess who uses magic for the purpose of curing the sick, divining the hidden, and controlling events

2

: one who resembles a shaman

especially : high priest sense 3

shamanic

shə-ˈma-nik 

-ˈmä-

adjective

Examples of shaman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Only these culinary shamans really knew how to make this stuff. —Mike Curato june 13, Literary Hub, 13 June 2025

Bent on evangelizing the Indigenous population in a remote Ecuadorian village, Candice (Sara Canning), a white American woman, alongside her husband and teenage son, must confront endemic beliefs and the man who holds the knowledge about them: the shaman. —Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2025

The Saturday morning group yoga has transformed into a one-on-one life-mapping session with a Mayan shaman. —Martie Bowser, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025

Prior to collecting, a local shaman conducts a ceremony to honor and respect the bees. —Claudia Alarcón, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

ultimately from Evenki (Tungusic language of Siberia) šamān

First Known Use

1698, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for shaman

• cayman
• daimon
• damon
• haman
• layman
• laymen
• maimon
• stamen
• wayman
• yamen
• zaman
• cyclamen