What does conjuring mean?
Conjuring is the art of producing seemingly impossible effects through skillful deception, most familiarly as stage magic: making objects vanish, appear, or transform using sleight of hand and misdirection. The word also carries an older, figurative sense — summoning something to mind or into existence as if by supernatural power, as when a piece of music is said to be conjuring images of another era. Historically rooted in Latin, the term once implied genuine invocation of spirits, but since at least the early modern period it has largely referred to trickery performed for entertainment. Today 'conjuring' appears both in the specialist vocabulary of magicians and illusionists and in everyday figurative phrases such as 'conjuring up'. It retains a slightly theatrical, evocative tone, which makes it a vivid choice for describing anything that seems to materialize out of thin air.
The art or practice of performing magic tricks, especially involving sleight of hand and illusion.
"She studied conjuring under one of London's most respected magicians."
Often used attributively in phrases such as 'conjuring trick'; the trade is associated with magicians' societies and parlour entertainment.
The action of calling something to mind or bringing something about as if by magic.
"The photograph had a way of conjuring summers spent at her grandmother's house."
Frequently appears in the construction 'conjuring up'.
The plural 'conjurings' refers to multiple instances or performances of conjuring, though it is relatively rare; the uncountable singular is far more common.
"The book collects the finest conjurings of Victorian stage magicians."
The word 'conjuring' comes from Latin coniurare — literally 'to swear together' — because ancient conspirators were bound by a joint oath before it ever meant pulling rabbits from hats.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of conjuring
Conjuring derives from the verb 'conjure', from Old French 'conjurer', itself from Latin 'coniurare', meaning 'to swear together, conspire' (from 'com-' 'together' + 'iurare' 'to swear'). In medieval usage the word came to mean invoking spirits or demons under oath, and this magical sense gave rise to 'conjuring' as a name for occult practices. By the seventeenth century, as belief in such invocations waned among entertainers, the term shifted to describe feats of manual dexterity and illusion performed for amusement.
Related word forms
How conjuring is actually used
In modern usage 'conjuring' most often refers to stage magic and is somewhat old-fashioned or theatrical in register compared with simply saying 'magic'. The figurative sense ('conjuring up images/memories') is very common in everyday speech and writing.
Easily confused with conjuring
'Conjuration' is the formal act of summoning something, especially by oath or incantation in a legal or magical sense, while 'conjuring' usually refers either to stage magic tricks or to the general act of summoning to mind.