incantation

[ in-kan-tey-shuhn ]

/ ˌɪn kænˈteɪ ʃən /

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noun

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR incantation

4 witchcraft, black magic, wizardry.

See synonyms for incantation on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of incantation

1350–1400; Middle English <Late Latin incantātiōn- (stem of incantātiō), equivalent to incantāt(us) past participle of incantāre to put a spell on, bewitch (see enchant, -ate¹) + -iōn--ion

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/, adjectivein·can·ta·tor, noun

Words nearby incantation

in camera, incandesce, incandescence, incandescent, incandescent lamp, incantation, incantatory, incapable, incapacitant, incapacitate, incapacitated

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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|Time
Almost 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|Time
She 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|Time
It is hard to make out exactly what she is saying, but her words act almost like an incantation.
Giovanni Zoppé’s Real-Life Family Circus|Malcolm Jones|October 21, 2012|DAILY BEAST

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. Locke
Whenever they passed an embedded fakir, they obtained an incantation from his lips, but still Baal-Zeboub failed.
Devil-Worship in France|Arthur Edward Waite
And now he began to speak, not loudly, but with solemn deliberation, as though he were uttering an incantation.
Dream Tales and Prose Poems|Ivan Turgenev
I 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

incantation

/ (ˌɪnkænˈteɪʃən) /

noun

ritual recitation of magic words or sounds

the formulaic words or sounds used; a magic spell

Derived forms of incantation

incantational, adjective

Word Origin for incantation

C14: from Late Latin incantātiō an enchanting, from incantāre to repeat magic formulas, from Latin, from in- ² + cantāre to sing; see enchant

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

incantation

OTHER WORDS FOR incantation

Origin of incantation

OTHER WORDS FROM incantation

Words nearby incantation

Words related to incantation

How to use incantation in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for incantation

Derived forms of incantation

Word Origin for incantation