conjure

[kon-jer, kuhn-, kuhn-joor]

verb (used with object)

conjured, conjuring 

1. to affect or influence by or as if by invocation or spell.

2. to effect, produce, bring, etc., by or as by magic.

   to conjure a miracle.

3. to call upon or command (a devil or spirit) by invocation or spell.

   Synonyms: invoke, raise, summon

4. to call or bring into existence by or as if by magic (usually followed byup ).

   She seemed to have conjured up the person she was talking about.

5. to bring to mind; recall (usually followed byup ).

   to conjure up the past.

6. to appeal to solemnly or earnestly.

   I conjure you to hear my plea.

7. Obsolete.,  to charge solemnly.

verb (used without object)

conjured, conjuring 

1. to call upon or command a devil or spirit by invocation or spell.

2. to practice magic.

3. to practice legerdemain.

4. Obsolete.,  to conspire.

noun

1. Chiefly Southern U.S.,  an act or instance of witchcraft, Hoodoo, or Voodoo, especially a spell.

conjure

/ ˈkʌndʒə /

verb

1. (intr) to practise conjuring or be a conjuror

2. (intr) to call upon supposed supernatural forces by spells and incantations

3. (tr) to appeal earnestly or strongly to

   I conjure you to help me

4. 1. a person thought to have great power or influence

   2. any name that excites the imagination

Other Word Forms

• unconjured adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of conjure¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English conj(o)uren, cunjouren, from Anglo-French, Old French conjurer, from Latin conjūrāre “to join in taking an oath, form an alliance, join a plot or conspiracy,” equivalent to con- prefix meaning “with, together” + jūrāre “to take an oath, swear,” derivative of jūr- inflectional stem of jūs “law”; con-, jury ¹, justice

Word History and Origins

Origin of conjure¹

C13: from Old French conjurer to plot, from Latin conjūrāre to swear together, form a conspiracy, from jūrāre to swear

Example Sentences

To summarize, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation’s top federal healthcare official, conjured up a connection between circumcision and autism via a relationship between circumcision and Tylenol that is unsupported by the research he cited.

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“I feel like I have a natural tendency to poke people at regular intervals with something surprising, a sound they hadn’t expected, like ‘whoosh,’ or an image that they hadn’t ever conjured before.”

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Cohen, who plays bullied employee Otis, conjured up his character’s love for peanut M&M’s, while Temple, who plays the girlfriend of one of Manchester’s friends, saw her character as a hairdresser.

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The north London club conjured their second try in the 63rd minute, with Farrell executing an exquisite crossfield kick for Earl to score.

Read more on Barron's

It’s funny how just the grainy, washed-out look of videotape can conjure so much melancholy.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• exorcise 
• invoke 
• summon