sorcery

noun

sor·​cery ˈsȯr-sə-rē How to pronounce sorcery (audio)
ˈsȯrs-rē
1
: the use of power gained from the assistance or control of evil spirits especially for divining : necromancy
2

Examples of sorcery in a Sentence

in olden times people suspected of sorcery were often put to death
Recent Examples on the Web In one of the videos, a woman being investigated for alleged sorcery looks anxiously into the camera. Rick Noack, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 Fights also include hand-to-hand combat, weaponry and sorcery. Common Sense Media, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2024 There also had to be sufficient indication of sorcery for the accused to be tortured. Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2024 For actor Michael Gambon, there was a bit of sorcery at work, too. Lee Cowan, CBS News, 31 Dec. 2023 Dated to more than 1,600 years ago, the item may have been used to predict the future and practice sorcery. Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Dec. 2023 To up their sorcery skills, Magic Science contains activities that teach them tricks using chemical reactions, such as making ordinary powders mystically foam and change color, creating test tube crystal balls, and more. Cheryl Fenton, Parents, 22 Nov. 2023 Doctors faced the risk of being lumped together with those who dealt in sorcery and pagan folklore—a real possibility given that the men who composed the Greek medical canon were pagans themselves. Meg Leja, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Nov. 2023 Doctors faced the risk of being lumped together with those who dealt in sorcery and pagan folklore, a real possibility given that the men who composed the Greek medical canon were pagans themselves. Discover Magazine, 7 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sorcery.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English sorcerie, from Anglo-French, from sorcer sorcerer, from Medieval Latin sortiarius, from Latin sort-, sors chance, lot — more at series

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sorcery was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near sorcery

Cite this Entry

“Sorcery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sorcery. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sorcery

noun
sor·​cery ˈsȯrs-(ə-)rē How to pronounce sorcery (audio)
: the use of powers gotten with the help of or by the control of evil spirits : witchcraft

More from Merriam-Webster on sorcery

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