incantation
the chanting or uttering of words purporting to have magical power.
the formula employed; a spell or charm.
magical ceremonies.
magic; sorcery.
repetitious wordiness used to conceal a lack of content; obfuscation: Her prose too often resorts to incantation.
Origin of incantation
1Other words for incantation
Other words from incantation
- in·can·ta·tion·al, in·can·ta·to·ry [in-kan-tuh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee], /ɪnˈkæn təˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i/, adjective
- in·can·ta·tor, noun
Words Nearby incantation
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use incantation in a sentence
Fortunately for those of us who resided outside SoCal, Scully also worked for national networks, allowing his economical narratives and poetic incantations to resonate far beyond Los Angeles.
'I Think He Stands Alone.' Remembering a Perfect Vin Scully Call | Sean Gregory | August 3, 2022 | TimeAlmost like an incantation of protection, a practice of softness.
My Pandemic Baby Is Pulling Us Out of Our Cozy Cave. But How Will the World See a Disabled Mother Like Me? | Rebekah Taussig | April 28, 2021 | TimeShe sounds like Holiday, but what she’s offering is less an act of mimicry than an intimate incantation, a spell of protectiveness.
The United States vs. Billie Holiday Is a Messy But Passionate Tribute to an American Legend | Stephanie Zacharek | February 26, 2021 | TimeIt is hard to make out exactly what she is saying, but her words act almost like an incantation.
There a familiar sound met his ears—the roll of a drum followed by an incantation in a quavering, high-pitched voice.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol | William J. Locke
They met by the parapet of the Quai, just as Père Bracasse had come to the end of his incantation.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol | William J. LockeWhenever they passed an embedded fakir, they obtained an incantation from his lips, but still Baal-Zeboub failed.
Devil-Worship in France | Arthur Edward WaiteAnd now he began to speak, not loudly, but with solemn deliberation, as though he were uttering an incantation.
Dream Tales and Prose Poems | Ivan TurgenevI have extensive knowledge of incantation, poetry, magic, and I know these concern your problem.
The Jewels of Aptor | Samuel R. Delany
British Dictionary definitions for incantation
/ (ˌɪnkænˈteɪʃən) /
ritual recitation of magic words or sounds
the formulaic words or sounds used; a magic spell
Origin of incantation
1Derived forms of incantation
- incantational, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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