cabalism

US: (kab′ə liz′əm)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

cab•a•lism  (kab′ə liz′əm), n. 

1. Judaism the principles or doctrines of the cabala.
2. Judaism an interpretation of something according to the doctrines of the cabala.
3. any mystic or occult doctrine;
   mysticism;
   occultism.
4. extreme traditionalism in theological conception or interpretation.
5. obfuscation or obscurantism, esp. resulting from an excessively recondite vocabulary:
   the cabalism of some modern literary criticism.

• cabal(a) + -ism 1580–90

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

kabbalah, kabbala, kabala, cabbala, cabala, qabalah / kəˈbɑːlə/ noun

1. an ancient Jewish mystical tradition based on an esoteric interpretation of the Old Testament
2. any secret or occult doctrine or science

Etymology: 16th Century: from Medieval Latin, from Hebrew qabbālāh tradition, what is received, from qābal to receive

kabbalism, kabalism, cabbalism, cabalism, qabalism / ˈkæbəˌlɪzəm/ noun

ˈkabbalist, ˈkabalist, ˈcabbalist, ˈcabalist, ˈqabalist noun

ˌkabbaˈlistic, ˌkabaˈlistic, ˌcabbaˈlistic, ˌcabaˈlistic, ˌqabaˈlistic adjective