superstition

From Middle French superstition, from Latin superstitio.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌs(j)uː.pə(ɹ)ˈstɪ.ʃən/, /ˌs(j)u.pə(ɹ)ˈstɪ.ʃn̩/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌs(j)u.pɚˈstɪ.ʃən/, /ˌs(j)u.pɚˈstɪ.ʃn̩/

• Audio (US):

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• Audio (UK):

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• Rhymes: -ɪʃən

superstition (countable and uncountable, plural superstitions)

1. A belief or beliefs, not based on human reason or scientific knowledge, that events may be influenced by one's behaviour in some magical or mystical way.
   • 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “Changes in London”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 229:

     What children we are in trifles! what slight things exercise an influence over us! to how much that our reason would be ashamed to acknowledge! nevertheless does it submit. Our whole nature must change; we must be less susceptible, less dependent on "blind accident," before we can shake off hopes and fears, which are almost superstitions.

2. (archaic) Excessive nicety; overscrupulousness.

• superstitious

• “superstition”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “superstition”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.

Borrowed from Latin superstitiōnem.

• IPA^(key): /sy.pɛʁ.sti.sjɔ̃/

• Audio:

  (file)

superstition f (plural superstitions)

1. superstition

• superstitieux

• “superstition”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.