noun
or man·i·che·ism ˈmanəˌkēˌizəm ; also man·i·chae·an·ism or man·i·che·an·ism ˌmanəˈkēəˌnizəm ; or man·i·chee·ism ˈmanəˌkēˌizəm
( -s )
Usage: usually capitalized
Etymology: Manichaeus (Manes) or Manichaean + English -ism
1. : a syncretistic religious dualism originating in Persia, widely held in the Roman empire during the third and fourth centuries A.D. and in central and eastern Asia for a longer period, and teaching as a saving wisdom given through the Hebrew prophets, Jesus, and Mani that a cosmic conflict exists between a good realm of light and an evil realm of darkness, that matter and flesh are in the realm of darkness, and that man's duty is to aid the forces of good by practicing asceticism especially by avoiding procreation and animal food
2. : a dualistic interpretation of the world dividing it between good and evil powers or regarding matter as inherently evil