Read along with the three podcasts, or open the full dictionary entry for Occult for the definition, Arabic meaning, synonyms and example sentences.
Narrator: Today's word is "Occult" — noun, pronounced /ˈɒkʌlt/, with the stress on "oc".
Narrator: The occult is supernatural, magical or mystical beliefs and practices.
Narrator: In plain English, magic and mysterious powers.
Narrator: It comes from Latin occultus, hidden.
Narrator: A common collocation is "occult practices", which describes rituals like tarot or spells.
Narrator: It differs from "religion", because the occult usually means hidden, unofficial magical knowledge.
Narrator: In a second sense, in medicine, "occult blood" means blood hidden in a sample.
Narrator: History, fiction, film and medicine use the word.
Narrator: So remember: occult means hidden, magical knowledge.
Speaker A: What's that old book on the shelf?
Speaker B: About the OCCULT! From Latin occultus, hidden.
Speaker A: Spells?
Speaker B: And astrology.
Speaker A: Example sentences?
Speaker B: "Victorian interest in the occult", history. "An occult horror film", cinema. "A faecal occult blood test", medicine.
Speaker A: Common mistakes?
Speaker B: In medicine, occult simply means hidden, not magical.
Speaker A: Close relatives?
Speaker B: Supernatural is its cousin, mystical its twin, and esoteric an alternative — yet occult keeps its shadowy charm!
Speaker B: Let's use "occult" in AI prompts — useful for fiction writing and medical explainers.
Speaker A: How for fiction?
Speaker B: Atmosphere.
Prompt: Write a spooky opening for a novel about an occult bookshop.
Speaker A: And medicine?
Speaker B: Explain.
Prompt: Explain what a faecal occult blood test checks for in plain English.
Speaker A: Could it help history?
Speaker B: Yes, for research.
Prompt: Summarise the Victorian craze for the occult and seances.
Speaker A: One more?
Speaker B: Games.
Prompt: Design an occult-themed puzzle for an escape room.
Occult — meaning in Arabic & definition More O courses GL Dictionary