necromancy

American  

[nek-ruh-man-see] / ˈnɛk rəˌmæn si /

noun

1. a method of divination through alleged communication with the dead; black art.

2. magic in general, especially that practiced by a witch or sorcerer; sorcery; witchcraft; conjuration.

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necromancy British  

/ ˈnɛkrəʊˌmænsɪ /

noun

1. the art or practice of supposedly conjuring up the dead, esp in order to obtain from them knowledge of the future

2. black magic; sorcery

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Usage

What is necromancy? Necromancy is a form of magic or divination in which a person communicates with the dead, as in The evil sorcerer used vile necromancy to get information on his enemies. Necromancy can also refer to magic or witchcraft in general. Often, necromancy is depicted as conjuring up a spirit or temporarily raising the dead. The supposed goal of necromancy is to gain information from the dead, especially about the future. A person who performs necromancy is called a necromancer, as in The necromancer performed a dark ritual in the secluded graveyard. The adjective necromantic refers to things related to necromancy, as in The powerful witch had a wide array of necromantic spells. Example: The wicked magician used necromancy to learn powerful spells from the spirits of dead wizards.

Related Words

See magic.

Other Word Forms

• necromancer noun
• necromantic adjective
• necromantically adverb

Etymology

Origin of necromancy

First recorded in 1250–1300; necro- + -mancy; replacing Middle English nigromancie, from Medieval Latin nigromantīa for Late Latin necromantīa, from Greek nekromanteía; by folk etymology nigro- (combining form of Latin niger “black”) was substituted in Medieval Latin for the original necro-

Explanation

Spooky, sneaky, powerful and strange, necromancy is the art of raising the spirits of the dead, either for their predictions about the future, or their ghostly help in making something happen. Necromancy, also called black magic, comes from the ancient Greek word for corpse necro and prophecy mancy. If you travel to the underworld to speak to the dead, then you have the power of necromancy, not to mention geomancy, the ability to read signs from the earth to find the necropolis, or city of the dead. As you might guess, necromancy isn’t discussed much these days. But if you’re reading about old witch trials, you might find accusations of necromancy abound.

Example Sentences

On that plot description alone, “Perpetrator” may sound conventional — like “Veronica Mars” but with a touch of necromancy.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 1, 2023

There’s too much money at stake for the project’s backers not to deploy legal necromancy to save it.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 7, 2022

Seeing dead people may seem like a curse, but to the teenage protagonist of the gothic, good-humored “Darby and the Dead,” necromancy is a Friday-night side hustle.

From New York Times • Dec. 1, 2022

Instead of necromancy, however, he uses advanced technology and bioengineering to produce advanced cyborgs that are stronger and smarter than most humans and work Off-world in performing a myriad of dangerous and hazardous tasks.

From Salon • Jul. 16, 2022

Though he wore maester's robes, there was no chain about his neck; it was whispered that he had lost it for dabbling in necromancy.

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin