What does adjuration mean?
An adjuration is a solemn and earnest appeal in which one person urgently urges another to do — or refrain from doing — something, often as though binding them by oath. The word derives from the Latin adjurare, meaning to swear to or conjure, and it retains that aura of gravity: an adjuration is never casual, but charged with moral or spiritual force. It appears chiefly in formal, literary, legal, and religious writing, describing moments when a speaker invokes duty, conscience, or divine witness to press a plea home. A second, more technical sense refers to a formal charge administered under oath, such as commanding a witness to testify truthfully. Because it is rare in everyday speech, adjuration lends any sentence a heightened, almost ceremonial tone, making it valuable for writers who wish to convey urgency bound up with solemnity rather than mere begging or requesting.
nounAn adjuration is a solemn, earnest appeal or entreaty, often made as if under oath, urging someone to do or not do something. It can also refer to the act of charging someone with an oath to tell the truth.
- A solemn, earnest appeal or entreaty urging someone to do something.
- A formal charge given under oath, especially commanding someone to answer truthfully.
"With tearful adjuration, she begged him not to board the ship."
"Despite his mother's repeated adjurations, he refused to abandon the expedition."
"The witness answered only after a stern adjuration to tell the whole truth."
The plural is regular and used when referring to multiple appeals or charges.
"Her adjurations went unheeded, and he departed at dawn."
Adjuration shares its Latin root with 'jury' — both trace back to the idea of swearing an oath, which is why a solemn plea and a courtroom verdict are distant linguistic cousins.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of adjuration
Adjuration comes from the Latin adjurare, formed from ad- ('to' or 'toward') plus jurare ('to swear'), itself derived from jus, meaning law or oath. The word entered English in the late Middle Ages through ecclesiastical and legal Latin, where it described charging someone under oath. It shares this root with 'adjure', 'conjure', 'perjury', and 'jury', all of which preserve the ancient link between swearing oaths and the law.
Related word forms
How adjuration is actually used
Adjuration is a formal, literary word, rarely heard in everyday conversation. It carries connotations of gravity and moral weight — the speaker is not merely asking but invoking something sacred or binding. It appears most often in historical, legal, or religious contexts.
Easily confused with adjuration
Abjuration means a formal renunciation or repudiation of a belief or claim, whereas adjuration is a solemn appeal or command urging someone to act.