Word Confusion: Exercise versus Exorcise

Plural for the noun: exercises
Gerund: exercising

Third person present verb: exercises
Past tense or past participle: exercised
Present participle: exercising

Third person present verb: exorcises
Past tense or past participle: exorcised
Present participle: exorcising

Alternative spelling: exorcize

A process or activity carried out for a specific purpose, especially one concerned with a specified area or skill

• A task or activity done to practice or test a skill
• [Often exercises] A military drill, training maneuver, simulated combat operations, etc.
• [North American; exercises] A set program of formal ceremonies, speeches, etc.

The use or application of a faculty, right, or process

A putting into action, use, operation, or effect

A written composition, musical piece, or artistic work executed for practice or to illustrate a particular aspect of technique

A religious observance or service

[Finance] The act of buying or selling the shares, etc., that are mentioned in an options contract, i.e., an agreement giving the right to buy and sell shares in the future

[Formal] The act of doing a particular job

Verb, intransitive:
Engage in physical activity to sustain or improve health and fitness

• Take exercise
• Exert (part of the body) to promote or improve muscular strength
• Cause (an animal) to engage in exercise

Verb, transitive:
Use or apply a faculty, right, or process

Occupy the thoughts of

• Worry or perplex
• Make uneasy
• Annoy

To put through exercises, or forms of practice or exertion, designed to train, develop, condition, or the like

To use or display in one’s action or procedure

To make use of one’s privileges, powers, etc.

To discharge a function

• Perform

To have as an effect

[Finance] To buy or sell the shares, etc. that are mentioned in an options contract, i.e., an agreement giving the right to buy and sell shares in the future

• Rid (a person or place) of an evil spirit

Walking is good exercise.

If you intend to embark on an activity, loosening-up exercises are a good idea.

It was a futile exercise in public relations.

There are exercises at the end of each chapter to check comprehension.

This is borne out by the results of research and experience in military training exercises.

Our graduation exercises always take place on the Tuesday before.

Our constitution guarantees the free exercise of religion and speech.

It was an exercise written as a technique-mastering piano piece.

Don’t forget the Bar Mitzvah exercises, John.

Shares will be transferred within 28 days of the exercise of an option.

Many journalists have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession.

Verb, intransitive:
She still exercised every day.

Raise your knee to exercise the upper leg and hip muscles.

She exercised her dogs before breakfast.

Verb, transitive:
Full control is exercised by the Board.

I intend to exercise my constitutional rights!

Anyone receiving a suspect package should exercise extreme caution.

He was greatly exercised about the doctor’s verdict.

The knowledge that a larger margin was possible still exercised him.

Joan’s gone to exercise Black Beauty.

I expect you to exercise your best judgment.

The landlord may exercise his right to review the rent.

He enjoyed exercising the role of disciplinarian.

It was an injustice that exercised the whole community.

Anyone who exercised such an option would immediately lose money.

I do wish inflation could be exorcised.

Infants were exorcised prior to baptism.

There are particular priests assigned to exorcise demons.

“In the God-fearing, heavily Baptist town of West Memphis, devil worshiping became a scourge to exorcise” (Muñoz).

“Does it merely take a united family leveling threats all at once to exorcise some of the demonic powers of addiction?” (Vargas-Cooper).

“He’s certainly done a lot to exorcise the whole Reagan era, and this is him at his best” (Wilentz).

“If you cannot exorcise the demon of prejudice, you can chain him down to law and reason” (Beveridge).

The current sense dates from the mid-16th century.