metempsychosis

metempsychosis — noun

1. the belief or philosophical idea that when a person or animal dies, their soul m

1.nounC2
Definition

the belief or philosophical idea that when a person or animal dies, their soul moves into the body of another living thing — a human, an animal, or even a plant — and begins a new existence there.

Example

The old teacher said metempsychosis means the soul goes to a new body after death.

uncountable noun without article in a general statement

Kwame learned about metempsychosis from an old book his grandmother gave him.

Common collocations
  • doctrine of metempsychosis
  • theory of metempsychosis
  • concept of metempsychosis
  • idea of metempsychosis
  • belief in metempsychosis
  • teach/teachings about metempsychosis
  • discuss metempsychosis
Synonyms
  • reincarnation

    the more common and broader term; reincarnation is often specifically human rebirth, while metempsychosis more explicitly allows animal or plant bodies

  • transmigration of souls

    a fuller, equivalent phrase; more transparent in meaning but equally formal

  • rebirth

    the simplest and most general word; lacks the formal/philosophical tone of metempsychosis

Antonyms
  • annihilationism

    the belief that the soul is completely destroyed at death, with no continuation

Grammar Patterns

theory / doctrine / idea + of metempsychosis

believe in + metempsychosis

Usage Note

Formal register — most commonly encountered in academic writing about ancient Greek philosophy or comparative religion. Unlike the broader term 'reincarnation,' which can refer to any rebirth (often as a human), metempsychosis specifically emphasises the soul's passage between different species, including animals and sometimes plants.

Common Mistakes

I believe in metempsychosis of the soul.
I believe in metempsychosis.
The word metempsychosis already contains the idea of the soul's movement; adding 'of the soul' is redundant.
His metempsychosis happened after he died.
According to the idea of metempsychosis, his soul entered a new body after he died.
Metempsychosis is the doctrine itself, not a single event for one person.

Word family

  • metempsychotic
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Metempsychosis, reincarnation, and transmigration of souls all describe a soul's journey after death, but they differ in scope and tone. Reincarnation is the most common word; it usually implies rebirth in a human body and appears in everyday religious or New Age contexts. Transmigration of souls is a full equivalent of metempsychosis — equally formal and explicit about the soul crossing between species. Rebirth is the simplest, vaguest term and can refer to spiritual renewal within one lifetime, not just after death. In academic philosophy, transmigration is preferred over reincarnation because the latter carries Buddhist/Hindu associations that ancient Greek thinkers did not share. For example, a scholar would write "Pythagoras taught the transmigration of souls" but a magazine might say "Many celebrities believe in reincarnation."

reincarnationtransmigration of soulsrebirth ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • traditionally (traditionally believed in metempsychosis)
  • widely (widely discussed theory of metempsychosis)

Phrases

  • theory of metempsychosis
  • belief in metempsychosis
  • the idea of metempsychosis
  • doctrine of metempsychosis

Prepositions

  • of (doctrine of metempsychosis)
  • in (belief in metempsychosis)
  • about (teachings about metempsychosis)

Etymology

GreekLatinEnglish

Metempsychosis comes from Greek μετεμψύχωσις (metempsychosis), formed from μετά (meta-, 'after, change'), ἐν (en-, 'in'), ψυχή (psykhē, 'soul, breath of life'), and -ωσις (-ōsis, 'process or condition'). The literal meaning is 'the process of the soul moving into [another body].' The word entered English through Latin in the late 16th century and has been used ever since as a technical term in philosophy and religious studies.