superstition
n. C / Un. a belief that certain actions or objects can bring good or bad luck. These ideas are usually not based on science or facts.
n. a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, or trust in magic or chance. Often involves an irrational causal connection between unrelated events.
The belief that breaking a mirror brings bad luck is a common superstition.
Despite being a scientist, he still follows the superstition of never walking under a ladder.
Anthropologists argue that every culture develops its own set of superstitions to provide a sense of control over unpredictable natural phenomena.
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”).
Countable when referring to specific beliefs; uncountable when referring to the general concept of irrational belief.