What does incant mean?
To incant is to speak or chant words believed to have magical power, usually as part of a ritual intended to summon, protect, transform, or otherwise affect someone or something. In its older noun use, an incant is the spoken formula or spell itself. Both forms are chiefly literary and carry strong associations with sorcery, fantasy, and ancient ritual, so ordinary expressions such as “incant a spell” can sound intentionally dramatic. The related and more common noun incantation can refer either to the act of chanting magical words or to the formula used. Although modern speakers use incant in narrative and ceremonial contexts, it is not normally used for ordinary speech or recitation. Its unusual form and its clear connection with the history of magic make it especially vivid in fiction, poetry, and descriptions of ritual magic.
To utter or chant words believed to have magical or supernatural power.
"The magician incanted a spell that silenced the storm."
Chiefly literary; the more usual modern term is enchant in some contexts and incantation for the ritual or formula.
A formula or spell chanted to produce a magical or supernatural effect.
"Only the final incant could open the sealed gate."
Now relatively uncommon; incantation is normally the more frequent noun.
The word is essentially magic in miniature: its Latin ancestor means to sing or chant over something.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does incant come from?
Incant comes through English from Latin incantare, a verb derived from cantare, meaning “to sing” or “to chant.” The Latin verb was used in the sense of chanting a formula in order to enchant, which developed into the modern word’s association with magic and supernatural power. Cognates and related formations include enchant, enchantment, incantation, and incantatory.
Related word forms
How incant is actually used
The word is literary and relatively uncommon in modern English. Incantation is more usual for the act or formula itself, while incant often has a deliberately archaic or fantastical tone.
Easily confused with incant
Incanting refers specifically to the utterance of words believed to possess magical power, whereas enchanting can mean bewitching someone or captivating them by charm.