theurgy

[ thee-ur-jee ]
See synonyms for: theurgytheurgicaltheurgictheurgist on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural the·ur·gies.
  1. a system of beneficent magic practiced by the Egyptian Platonists and others.

  2. the working of a divine or supernatural agency in human affairs.

Origin of theurgy

1
1560–70; <Late Latin theūrgia<Greek theourgeía magic. See the-, -urgy

Other words from theurgy

  • the·ur·gic, the·ur·gi·cal, adjective
  • the·ur·gist, noun

Words Nearby theurgy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use theurgy in a sentence

  • Philip appears to have been one of the apostolical men most preccupied with theurgy.

    The Apostles | Ernest Renan
  • Both authors show the same admiration for the Gymnosophists, the same distinction between magic and theurgy.

    Essays on the Greek Romances | Elizabeth Hazelton Haight
  • In regard to theurgy, the ancients gave this name to that part of magic which is called white magic.

    The Phantom World | Augustin Calmet
  • theurgy was the second method of counteracting the evil influence of demons.

  • This current was so strong that philosophy itself was swept toward mysticism and the neo-Platonist school became a theurgy.

British Dictionary definitions for theurgy

theurgy

/ (ˈθiːˌɜːdʒɪ) /


nounplural -gies
    • the intervention of a divine or supernatural agency in the affairs of man

    • the working of miracles by such intervention

  1. beneficent magic as taught and performed by Egyptian Neoplatonists and others

Origin of theurgy

1
C16: from Late Latin theūrgia, from Late Greek theourgia the practice of magic, from theo- theo- + -urgia, from ergon work

Derived forms of theurgy

  • theurgic or theurgical, adjective
  • theurgically, adverb
  • theurgist, noun

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