incantation

American  

[in-kan-tey-shuhn] / ˌɪn kænˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the chanting or uttering of words purporting to have magical power.

2. the formula employed; a spell or charm.

3. magical ceremonies.

4. magic; sorcery.

   Synonyms:

   wizardry, black magic, witchcraft

5. repetitious wordiness used to conceal a lack of content; obfuscation.

   Her prose too often resorts to incantation.

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incantation British  

/ ˌɪnkænˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. ritual recitation of magic words or sounds

2. the formulaic words or sounds used; a magic spell

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Other Word Forms

• incantational adjective
• incantator noun
• incantatory adjective

Etymology

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, -ate ¹) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

"Double, double toil and trouble / Fire burn, and cauldron bubble." These lines, cackled by the Weird Sisters in Shakespeare's Macbeth, are part of the most famous incantation — or magic spell made of words — in English literature. Incantation shares a Latin source with enchant, both of which are related to chant. An incantation, then, summons a thing or action into being with words that are sung, spoken, or written. Long before it became the catchword of stage magicians, abracadabra was regarded as a powerful incantation capable of warding off serious disease. The phrase hocus pocus may be a corruption of a 17th-century incantation spoken during the Roman Catholic liturgy of the Eucharist, "hoc est corpus meum" ("this is my body").

Example Sentences

To boost the placement of these companies’ products in AI results, Bailyn’s company plants a sort of magic incantation, known as a “brand authority statement,” on at least 10 websites.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

The culprit for the incantation was the image of the now emblematic Pale Man from “Pan’s Labyrinth,” flaunting eyes on his palms on the back cover of the DVD.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 16, 2025

Nuns dangling rosary beads, tourists and student priests were among those who joined the gentle incantation of the rosary in the Vatican.

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2025

His voice, like a conjurer’s incantation, stirs the embers of rage, mustering both a conviction and devotion that consumes both logic and restraint.

From Salon • Oct. 18, 2024

She stared into her gray eyes and tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear, summoning the words of her oath as if they were an incantation.

From "The Reader" by Traci Chee

Related Words

• enchantment
• hymn