sorcerer

American  

[sawr-ser-er] / ˈsɔr sər ər /

noun

1. a person who practices sorcery; black magician; wizard.

---

sorcerer British  

/ ˈsɔːsərə, ˈsɔːsərɪs /

noun

1. a person who seeks to control and use magic powers; a wizard or magician

---

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

• undersorcerer
  noun

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:

• warlock vs. sorcerer

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."

Example Sentences

Once they take their first bite they’ll think you’re a sorcerer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

When Odile, the daughter of a sorcerer, is sent to steal the king’s crown, she must first infiltrate his court.

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2025

You’re an aspiring sorcerer with a thirst for imaginary adventure, but you don’t own a Dungeons & Dragons game kit.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 8, 2024

Known to archaeologists as Yax Wayaab Chahk G1, the swirling deity represents a manifestation of the Maya storm god directly translated as “first sorcerer rain god.”

From National Geographic • Jan. 26, 2024

“Our Lord Nemmerle has his raven, and songs say the Red Mage of Ark led a wild boar on a gold chain. But I never heard of any sorcerer keeping a rat in his hood!”

From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin