Word
superstition
Phoneticssu·per·sti·tion
US/ˌsupɝˈstɪʃən/
UK/sˈuːpəstˈɪʃən/
Definitions
01irrational belief in luck
n. a belief that specific things or events bring good or bad luck, like thinking a black cat is a bad sign.
n. a belief or practice based on supernatural causality, often considered irrational or unfounded by others.
“It is a common superstition that breaking a mirror brings seven years of bad luck.”
“Despite his scientific background, he harboured a private superstition that wearing his old college tie would ensure a successful negotiation.”
02excessive scrupulousness
n. being too careful about small details or rules in a way that seems unnecessary.
n. an archaic sense referring to excessive nicety or overscrupulousness in conduct or thought.
“The old clerk followed the rules with a kind of nervous superstition.”
“The author’s superstition regarding punctuation made the editing process incredibly slow for the publishing house.”
Archaic
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“So, if something bad happens on Friday the 13th, you notice and remember it, and it confirms the superstition, whereas if something bad happens on any other day, you don't remember it.” Etymology
From Middle French superstition, from Latin superstitio (“superstition”), from superstāre (“to stand above, to stand upon, to survive”) + -tiō (“-tion: forming nouns”), from super- (“above, over, upon”) + stāre (“to stand”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
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englishreference.com/q/superstition