Meaning & use

familiar spirit

noun·Advanced

A supernatural spirit, often taking animal form, traditionally believed to serve or assist a witch or sorcerer.

See it in a sentence

In the old folktale, the witch's black cat was said to be her familiar spirit.

Villagers accused the old woman of keeping a familiar spirit disguised as a toad.

A note on using this word

The shortened form 'familiar' is more common today, especially in fantasy fiction, than the fuller phrase 'familiar spirit.'

Words with a similar meaning

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