What does conjured mean?
'Conjured' is the past tense and past participle of the verb 'conjure', meaning to bring something into being or to mind as if by magic. In its oldest and most literal sense, to conjure was to summon a spirit or supernatural force through ritual and incantation — a practice associated with magicians, necromancers, and medieval grimoires. Today, however, the word is far more often used figuratively: a writer might have conjured a vivid scene, a musician conjured an atmosphere, or a cook conjured a meal from whatever scraps were on hand, suggesting resourcefulness and almost magical skill. The phrase 'conjured up' is especially common for evoking memories or mental pictures. With its roots in the Latin 'coniurare', meaning to swear an oath together, 'conjured' carries connotations of mystery, artistry, and transformation — the sense that something remarkable has been drawn out of thin air.
verb (past tense and past participle of 'conjure')The past tense and past participle of the verb 'conjure': to bring to mind or cause to appear as if by magic, or to call upon a spirit or supernatural force, especially in a magical ritual. It is also used figuratively to mean evoking a memory, image, or idea in someone's mind.
- To have brought something to mind or made it appear vividly, especially a mental image, memory, or feeling ('conjured up').
- To have summoned or called upon a spirit, demon, or supernatural force by magic or ritual.
- To have created, produced, or obtained something seemingly out of nothing, often through ingenuity or sleight of hand.
"She conjured up a vivid picture of her grandmother's kitchen with just a few words."
"The novelist conjured an entire vanished world from a handful of letters and photographs."
"Legend says the sorcerer conjured a spirit from the flames, demanding answers to three questions."
In medieval Latin, 'coniurare' meant to swear together — which is why magicians who 'swear' spirits into appearing are called conjurors.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of conjured
'Conjured' derives from the Old French 'conjurer', itself from the Latin 'coniurare', meaning 'to swear together' or 'to conspire by oath' — literally 'to join oaths' (com- 'together' + iurare 'to swear'). In medieval usage, the word came to denote calling upon spirits by invocation, since such rituals were understood as binding entities by solemn oath. English adopted the verb in the Middle Ages, and its figurative sense of evoking images or memories developed later. Related words sharing this root include 'conjuration', 'conjuror', and, more distantly, 'abjure' and 'perjury', all built on the Latin 'iurare'.
Related word forms
How conjured is actually used
'Conjured' carries a slightly literary or evocative register; it is common in fiction, memoir, and descriptive prose. In everyday speech it most often appears in the phrase 'conjured up', applied to images, memories, or impressions. The magical sense is largely historical or fictional in modern usage.
Easily confused with conjured
'Counjured' is not a standard English word; the correct spelling is always 'conjured'.