sorcery

noun

sor·​cery ˈsȯr-sə-rē 

ˈsȯrs-rē

1

: the use of power gained from the assistance or control of evil spirits especially for divining : necromancy

2

: magic sense 2a

Synonyms

• witchcraft
• magic

Examples of sorcery in a Sentence

in olden times people suspected of sorcery were often put to death

Recent Examples on the Web

And then at some point, the movie turns into a full-on tale of modern-age sorcery, shifting from its historical roots into an arthouse genre flick replete with fire and demons. —Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2025

Fantilli followed and used a swirl of sorcery and stick moves before beating Silovs. —Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025

Game of Thrones‘ upcoming prequel A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms takes place 100 years before the events of the original series, in a Westeros where sorcery and dragons are a thing of the past. —Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 11 Oct. 2025

In this Fixed sign, Mars’ sorcery is much like a surgeon or a chemist, cutting deep to unveil what’s lingering beneath the surface. —Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English sorcerie, from Anglo-French, from sorcer sorcerer, from Medieval Latin sortiarius, from Latin sort-, sors chance, lot — more at series

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

sorcery

noun

sor·​cery ˈsȯrs-(ə-)rē 

: the use of powers gotten with the help of or by the control of evil spirits : witchcraft