Sorcery Definition & Meaning - Dictionary.com

Sorcery is supernatural power or the ability to use supernatural powers—witchcraft or magic. The word sorcery often (though not always) refers to so-called ... TopDefinitionsSynonymsQuizRelatedContentMoreAboutSorceryExamplesBritish📓HighSchoolLevelThisshowsgradelevelbasedontheword'scomplexity.sorcery[sawr-suh-ree]SHOWIPA/ˈsɔrsəri/PHONETICRESPELLINGSeethemostcommonlyconfusedwordassociatedwithsorceryNewWordListWordListSaveThisWord!SeesynonymsforsorceryonThesaurus.com📓HighSchoolLevelThisshowsgradelevelbasedontheword'scomplexity.noun,pluralsor·cer·ies.theart,practices,orspellsofapersonwhoissupposedtoexercisesupernaturalpowersthroughtheaidofevilspirits;blackmagic;witchery.COMPAREMEANINGSsorcerywitchcraftClickforaside-by-sidecomparisonofmeanings.Usethewordcomparisonfeaturetolearnthedifferencesbetweensimilarandcommonlyconfusedwords.OTHERWORDSFORsorceryenchantment.SeesynonymsforsorceryonThesaurus.comQUIZSHALLWEPLAYA"SHALL"VS."SHOULD"CHALLENGE?Shouldyoutakethisquizon“shall”versus“should”?Itshouldprovetobeaquickchallenge!Question1of6Whichformisusedtostateanobligationordutysomeonehas?shallshouldTAKETHEQUIZTOFINDOUTOriginofsorcery1250–1300;MiddleEnglishsorcerie,fromMedievalLatinsorceria.Seesorcerer,-y3synonymstudyforsorcerySeemagic.Wordsnearbysorcerysorborubber,sorbose,sorcerer,sorceress,sorcerous,sorcery,sord,Sordello,sordes,sordid,sordinoDictionary.comUnabridged BasedontheRandomHouseUnabridgedDictionary,©RandomHouse,Inc.2022MOREABOUTSORCERYWhatdoes sorcerymean?Sorceryissupernaturalpowerortheabilitytousesupernaturalpowers—witchcraftormagic. Thewordsorceryoften(thoughnotalways)referstoso-calledblackmagic—magicusedforevilpurposes. Apersonwhocanperformsorceryiscalledasorcerer(whichcanbeusedforanygender,buttypicallyreferstoaman)orasorceress(whichreferstoawoman).Sorcererandsorceressareoftenusedtorefertoevilcharactersinworksoffiction,especiallyinthe“swordandsorcery”fantasygenre.Incontrast,similarwordslikewizardandmagicianusuallyimplythatsuchfiguresusetheirpowersforgood.Ifnot,you’dusuallycallthemanevilwizardorevilmagician. Apartfromwhetherornotit’susedforgoodorevil,thewordssorceryimpliesgreatpower—andoftengreatskillandcommandofsuchpower. Forthisreason,thewordsorceryissometimesusedinafigurativewaytorefertogreatskillinsomething,asifit’samagicalability,asinChris’sskillincodingisstraight-upsorcery.Thewordwizardryisused(evenmorecommonly)inthesameway.Apersonwho’sskilledinthiswaycanbecalledawizard,asorcerer,orasorceress. Example:Ifearthatsomeevilsorceryhasenchantedthisland. Wheredoes sorcerycomefrom?Thefirstrecordsofthewordsorcerycomefromthe1200s.ItultimatelycomesfromtheLatinsortiārius,meaning“personwhocastslots”(referringtoapersonwhotellsfortunes). Fictionallyspeaking,sorceryisamagic(thekindwithsupernaturalpower,notthekindwithcardtricks).Sorcerersareoftenvillainsinthestorieswheretheyappear,butthisisnotalwaysthecase.Sorceryonlysometimesimpliesevil,butitalwaysimpliesgreatmagicalpowerandskill.Thefigurativeuseofthewordusuallydoesn’timplyevil.Whenyoucallsomeone’scookingsorcery,it’sacomplimentmeaningthattheymakemagicinthekitchenwiththeirgreatskill—notthattheyusetheirpowersforevil. Didyouknow...?Whataresomeotherformsrelatedtosorcery? sorceries(plural) sorcerer(noun,gender-neutralandmaleversion) sorceress(noun,femaleversion) sorcerous(adjective)   Whataresomesynonymsforsorcery? wizardry magic Whataresomewordsthatsharearootorwordelementwithsorcery?  ensorcell Whataresomewordsthatoftengetusedindiscussingsorcery?   evil powerful power conjure magician wizard witch spell fantasy skill Howis sorceryusedinreallife?Thewordsorceryismostcommonlyusedinthecontextoffantasy,butit’salsousedinafigurativeway. ItisnowJune6inpartsofthePacificOcean.Atlast,Lackington'sisopentonewsubmissions!Ourthemeis"Magics".Stunuswithyourtalesofsorceryandglamour!pic.twitter.com/6go2wgzvX5 —Lackington'sMagazine(@Lackingtons)June5,2018 HighScoreisourseriesdedicatedtotheincredibleworldofvideogamemusic.Tonight,presenterEímearNooneshowcasesthegreatestmusicfromvideogamesinspiredbyancientlegends,powerfulsorceryandmythicalbeasts,withmusicofOkami,Baldur’sGate,GodofWar&more.pic.twitter.com/fzJ4xyfJMv —ClassicFM(@ClassicFM)July20,2019 20+goalsand20+assistsforLionelFootballMessiinLaLigathisseason.Thisisnotfootball.It'sasorceryexhibition.👽pic.twitter.com/FCN8O4H9Y0 —BeksFCB(@Joshua_Ubeku)July11,2020     Tryusing sorcery!TrueorFalse?  Sorceryisalwaysevil. Wordsrelatedtosorceryabracadabra,alchemy,bewitchment,charm,conjuring,devilry,divination,enchantment,hocus-pocus,hoodoo,incantation,jinx,magic,necromancy,spell,thaumaturgy,voodoo,witchery,witching,wizardryHowtousesorceryinasentenceTomHollandisstillaSpider-ManfanatheartThesecondpost-creditssceneislessspider-villains,moresorcery.‘Spider-Man:NoWayHome’post-creditsscenes,explained|DavidBetancourt|December19,2021|WashingtonPostThetrailerforMultiverseofMadnesssuggeststhatDoctorStrange’ssorcerymayhavedisruptedthemultiversepermanently.BreakingDowntheSpider-Man:NoWayHomeEnd-CreditsScenes|ElianaDockterman|December17,2021|Time“TheChosenandtheBeautiful,”byNghiVoInthisreimagined“GreatGatsby,”partygoersdrinkdemonblood,sorcerytwiststhebeamsofreality,andJayGatsbyisabisexualvampire.50notableworksoffiction|WashingtonPostEditorsandReviewers|November18,2021|WashingtonPostSaudiArabiahasrecentlybeheadedwomenfor“sorcery”buthasavoidedapostasytrialsinvolvingitsfewChristianconverts.InSudanaPregnantWomanMayBeHangedforMarryingaChristian|NinaShea|May17,2014|DAILYBEASTForforeignhouseholdworkersinSaudiArabia,mostofthemwomen,sorcerychargesaremorecommonthanyoumightthink.WillSaudiArabiaExecuteGuestWorkersfor'Witchcraft'?|MichaelSchulson|March29,2014|DAILYBEASTSaudicitizens,too,havebeenarraigned,andexecuted,forsorcery.WillSaudiArabiaExecuteGuestWorkersfor'Witchcraft'?|MichaelSchulson|March29,2014|DAILYBEASTPaybackagainstthoseaccusedofpracticingsorceryisadeep-setcustominsomepartsoftheethnicallydiversenation.WhereTheyStillBurn‘Witches’|JoChandler|February18,2013|DAILYBEASTOffscreen,though,Momoaisalreadylookingpasttheworldofon-screensorcery.ConanGetsEmotional|AdamAuriemma|August21,2011|DAILYBEASTOh,sorceryofthemostwonderfulmagicianofletterstheworldhasseensinceShakespeare!RepertoryOfTheComedieHumaine,Complete,A--Z|AnatoleCerfberrandJulesFranoisChristopheRobinwasconvictedofsorcery,and,perseveringinhiserror,wasburnedaliveinthePlaceduParvis.TheMerrieTalesOfJacquesTournebroche|AnatoleFranceButinthisDomdanielofSorceryevenhisassurancewaswavering—Iwilltellyoulater,herepliednervously.TheCradleofMankind|W.A.WigramThisisstrange,”thoughthe,“thatinthehouseofsorcerythereshouldbefoodsowholesome.TheWorksofRobertLouisStevenson,VolumeXXI|RobertLouisStevensonHecouldexpressitinthesemanticsofspiritism,orhecouldadmittowitchcraftandsorcery.SensefromThoughtDivide|MarkIrvinCliftonSEEMOREEXAMPLESSEEFEWEREXAMPLESBritishDictionarydefinitionsforsorcerysorcery/(ˈsɔːsərɪ)/nounplural-ceriestheart,practices,orspellsofmagic,espblackmagic,bywhichitissoughttoharnessoccultforcesorevilspiritsinordertoproducepreternaturaleffectsintheworldDerivedformsofsorcerysorcerous,adjectiveWordOriginforsorceryC13:fromOldFrenchsorcerie,fromsorciersorcererCollinsEnglishDictionary-Complete&Unabridged2012DigitalEdition ©WilliamCollinsSons&Co.Ltd.1979,1986©HarperCollins Publishers1998,2000,2003,2005,2006,2007,2009,2012WORDOFTHEDAYplastiquenoun|[pla-steek]SEEDEFINITIONFEEDBACK