What does sorcery mean?
Sorcery is a noun meaning witchcraft or the use of supernatural power to cast spells, enchant people, or influence events. In modern English, it most often appears in stories, historical accounts, and descriptions of folklore, where it may refer to any magical practice or, more narrowly, to harmful or forbidden magic such as curses and black magic. The word can also be used figuratively for mysterious or manipulative influence, as in political or financial “sorcery,” though this use is less common. Its literary and historical tone makes it more evocative than the broader word magic and often more ominous than the general term witchcraft. Sorcery is especially useful when the emphasis is on a practice, system of spells, or supernatural power rather than on a particular magician or spell. The term has also carried legal and religious significance for centuries, appearing in laws and accusations that could lead to severe punishment. Today it survives chiefly in fiction, fantasy, cultural history, and occasional figurative criticism, preserving the atmosphere of the ancient craft without requiring that the supposed power be real.
nounSorcery is the practice or power of using magic, especially witchcraft or spells intended to harm or control others. It can also refer more broadly to enchantment or mysterious supernatural influence.
- The practice or power of using magic, especially witchcraft, spells, curses, or other supernatural influence.
"The villagers whispered that the old woman practised sorcery beneath the light of the moon."
"The court records described her healing remedies as sorcery rather than medicine."
"The novel imagines a city where political alliances are manipulated through a little financial sorcery."
The plural is less common than the singular and can refer to separate acts, practices, or kinds of sorcery.
"The old manuscript described sorceries performed in hidden temples."
In parts of medieval Europe, sorcery could be treated as a capital crime, giving the age of witch hunts a grim and literal legal context.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sorcery come from?
The word entered Middle English from Old French sorcerie, meaning sorcery or witchcraft. That form developed from sorcier, meaning sorcerer, and ultimately connects with Vulgar Latin sorceria and Latin sortilegium, a term associated with casting lots and divination. Its relatives include the English words sortilege and sortiliary, while sorcerer and sorcerous became established English derivatives.
Related word forms
How sorcery is actually used
Sorcery has a literary, historical, or deliberately ominous tone. It is often narrower than magic, suggesting witchcraft or forbidden spells, although it can refer to magic in general. Figurative uses involving persuasive or manipulative influence are comparatively uncommon.
Easily confused with sorcery
Sorcery means magic or witchcraft, whereas surgery means the medical treatment or operation of a body.