necromancy

American  

[nek-ruh-man-see] / ˈnɛk rəˌmæn si /

noun

1. a method of divination through alleged communication with the dead; black art.

2. magic in general, especially that practiced by a witch or sorcerer; sorcery; witchcraft; conjuration.

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necromancy British  

/ ˈnɛkrəʊˌmænsɪ /

noun

1. the art or practice of supposedly conjuring up the dead, esp in order to obtain from them knowledge of the future

2. black magic; sorcery

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Usage

What is necromancy? Necromancy is a form of magic or divination in which a person communicates with the dead, as in The evil sorcerer used vile necromancy to get information on his enemies. Necromancy can also refer to magic or witchcraft in general. Often, necromancy is depicted as conjuring up a spirit or temporarily raising the dead. The supposed goal of necromancy is to gain information from the dead, especially about the future. A person who performs necromancy is called a necromancer, as in The necromancer performed a dark ritual in the secluded graveyard. The adjective necromantic refers to things related to necromancy, as in The powerful witch had a wide array of necromantic spells. Example: The wicked magician used necromancy to learn powerful spells from the spirits of dead wizards.

Synonym Usage

See magic.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• necromancer
  noun
• necromantic
  adjective
• necromantically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of necromancy

First recorded in 1250–1300; necro- + -mancy; replacing Middle English nigromancie, from Medieval Latin nigromantīa for Late Latin necromantīa, from Greek nekromanteía; by folk etymology nigro- (combining form of Latin niger “black”) was substituted in Medieval Latin for the original necro-

Explanation

Spooky, sneaky, powerful and strange, necromancy is the art of raising the spirits of the dead, either for their predictions about the future, or their ghostly help in making something happen. Necromancy, also called black magic, comes from the ancient Greek word for corpse necro and prophecy mancy. If you travel to the underworld to speak to the dead, then you have the power of necromancy, not to mention geomancy, the ability to read signs from the earth to find the necropolis, or city of the dead. As you might guess, necromancy isn’t discussed much these days. But if you’re reading about old witch trials, you might find accusations of necromancy abound.

Example Sentences

What is noteworthy too, it proved wholly inane, this huge world-ocean of Intrigues and Imperial Necromancy; ran dry at last into absolute nothing even for the Kaiser, and might as well not have been.

From History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 05 by Carlyle, Thomas

In other words, these men had been experimenting along the lines of Jewish Necromancy, or Invocation and Evocation of Disembodied Astral Intelligences by means of Conjuration.

From Mystic Christianity by Atkinson, William Walker

Mediaeval ceremonial magic was subdivided into three chief branches—White Magic, Black Magic, and Necromancy.

From Bygone Beliefs: being a series of excursions in the byways of thought by Redgrove, H. Stanley (Herbert Stanley)

Necromancy has no foundation,—in fact, no intelligence; and the belief that it has, deceives itself.

From Miscellaneous Writings, 1883-1896 by Eddy, Mary Baker

Occult Literature is susceptible of a division into several classes or sections: Religious Cults, Necromancy, Magic, Second Sight, Divination, Astrology, Palmistry, of which all have their special literatures and bibliographies.

From The Book-Collector A General Survey of the Pursuit and of those who have engaged in it at Home and Abroad from the Earliest Period to the Present Time by Hazlitt, William Carew