1. Plural of obelism: the practice of marking or annotating text with an obelus (a typographical symbol, typically ÷ or †, used to indicate a dubious or spurious passage).
Usage: scholarly; historical; textual criticism

Examples

• Medieval scholars employed obelisms to flag questionable passages in ancient manuscripts.
• The editor's use of obelisms helped readers identify which sections were considered unreliable.
• Obelisms were common practice in classical textual criticism before modern editorial conventions.
• The manuscript contained numerous obelisms indicating passages of uncertain authenticity.