sutteeism means suttee; the practice of self-immolation of Hindu widows. It carries an Arena rating of 1259, earned across 6 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, sutteeism ranks #567 of 17,104 for Most Storied Words, #767 of 17,131 for Scariest Words, #2,890 of 17,151 for The Improbable, #3,211 of 17,128 for Most Ponderous Words.
Why “sutteeism” is a great word
The historical practice, especially in India, of a widow immolating herself on her husband’s funeral pyre. From *suttee* (from Sanskrit *satī*, "a virtuous woman, faithful wife") + the suffix *-ism*, denoting a practice or system. Unlike *sati* (which names the virtuous widow or the single, terrible act) or *widowhood* (which denotes a state of loss), sutteeism denotes the cold architecture of the custom itself. It is the weight of gathered wood, the expectation hanging thicker than smoke, the transformation of a person into a principle by communal force—the precise machinery by which devotion is made a public spectacle and a private end.
Etymology
From suttee + -ism.
noun
- suttee; the practice of self-immolation of Hindu widows.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- suttee 84% match — The traditional custom of a Hindu woman giving herself up to be cremated on her husband’s funeral pyre as a sign of her devotion. vs sutteeism →
- anumarana 66% match — The ancient Indian practice of voluntary death by self-immolation by Hindu widows after the death of the husband. vs sutteeism →
- concremation 58% match — The act of burning different things together, especially in Hinduism, along with a widow. vs sutteeism →
- autocremation 55% match — self-immolation vs sutteeism →
- sallekhana 55% match — The religious practice of facing death voluntarily at the end of one's life, with fasting and meditation. vs sutteeism →
- suey 53% match — Suicide (act of self-killing). vs sutteeism →
- antyesti 53% match — A Hindu funeral ritual. vs sutteeism →
- johar 52% match — The Rajput practice whereby women are sacrificed in a fire to avoid their being captured by an enemy. vs sutteeism →