séance

noun

sé·​ance ˈsā-ˌän(t)s 

-ˌäⁿs, 

sā-ˈän(t)s, 

-ˈäⁿs

1

: session, sitting

2

: a spiritualist meeting to receive spirit communications

Examples of séance in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Shock Docs special concludes with a dramatic seance held at The Lizzie Borden House. — Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2026

Life’s biggest challenges were saving up for a treehouse, holding seances in a cemetery, navigating first crushes and hard family situations, and, of course, simply growing up. — Sarah Scott, Parents, 14 July 2026

Shot in only one day and clocking in around eight minutes, the final scene feels as much like a seance or invocation as a piece of drama. — Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026

Franklin soon made many appearances in seances, chatting with Americans eager to hear his wisdom. — Stephen Mihm, Mercury News, 6 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, from Middle French, from seoir to sit, assemble, from Old French, from Latin sedēre — more at sit

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

séance

noun

sé·​ance ˈsā-ˌän(t)s 

1

: a meeting for discussion : session

2

: a meeting to receive the communications of spirits