sorcerer
Americannoun
-
sorcerers
plural
noun
Usage
What does sorcerer mean? A sorcerer is a person who can perform sorcery—witchcraft or magic. The word sorcerer can be used for any gender, but it typically refers to a man. The word sorceress refers to a woman who performs sorcery. The word sorcery often (though not always) refers to so-called black magic—magic used for evil purposes. That’s why sorcerer and sorceress are often used to refer to evil characters in works of fiction, especially in the fantasy genre. In contrast, similar words like wizard and magician usually imply that such figures use their powers for good. If not, you’d usually call them an evil wizard or evil magician. Apart from whether or not they use their supernatural powers for good or evil, the words sorcerer and sorceress often imply that such a person is very powerful due to having great skill and command of such powers. For this reason, the word sorcerer is sometimes used in a figurative way to refer to a person who is very skilled at something, as if they have magical abilities, as in Chris is a sorcerer at coding. The word sorcery can be used to refer to such skill. The words wizard and wizardry are used (even more commonly) in the same ways. Example: The sorcerer has cast a powerful spell to enchant this land.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of sorcerer
1520–30; earlier sorcer, Middle English < Middle French sorcier, perhaps < Vulgar Latin *sortiārius one who casts lots, equivalent to Latin sort- (stem of sors ) lot, fate + -i- -i- + -ārius -ier 2; see -er 1
Compare meaning
How does sorcerer compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Magical, mysterious, and quite possibly mythical, a sorcerer is a name for a spell-casting wizard. Use the noun sorcerer when you're talking about a magician who practices enchantments and conjures spells. Sorcerers appear in many fantasy novels and Shakespeare plays. The word for a female sorcerer is sorceress. The Latin word sors, "fate or fortune," is at the root of sorcerer, which didn't come into popular use until after the 1940 release of the Disney film "Fantasia," which featured Mickey Mouse as the character "the sorcerer's apprentice."
Vocabulary lists containing sorcerer
Fish in a Tree
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Ch'i-lin Purse
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Magical Vocabulary
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
An evil sorcerer is the last person you'd expect to see at an economic forum.
From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026
Regardless, standout performances such as Daniel Camargo’s compelling prince, Léa Fleytoux’s fabulously arrow-sharp Firebird and Patrick Frenette’s demonic sorcerer held the stage with impressive individuality.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026
Odette is a princess, turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer.
From New York Times ● May 20, 2024
The question is how deep her team can go in a bracket that includes defending national champion Louisiana State and Iowa and its scoring sorcerer, Caitlin Clark.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 23, 2024
As the witch kept talking of the glory and the riches and the great power over men that a sorcerer could gain, he set himself to learn more useful lore.
From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin
Historians believe members travelled through villages searching for troublemakers, including suspected sorcerers.
From BBC ● Dec. 19, 2023
Around the king’s town are domed buildings and groves and thickets where the sorcerers of these people, men in charge of the religious cult, live.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023
Although they were initially allies, “Doctor Strange’s” Mordo becomes disillusioned by sorcerers like the Ancient One and Strange breaking the rules and turns into a sorcerer hunter by the end of the film.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2022
In the novels, this is a rumor that is spread about witchers, which leads a group of opportunistic sorcerers to bring a mob of villagers to the keep with torches and pitchforks.
From Salon ● Jan. 8, 2022
He cleared his throat with a small noise like chalk snapping and continued, “In September of that year, a subcommittee of Sardinian sorcerers —” He stuttered to a halt.
From "Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets" by J. K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
