sortilege

[sawr-tl-ij]

noun

1. the drawing of lots for divination; divination by lot.

2. sorcery; magic.

sortilege

/ ˈsɔːtɪlɪdʒ /

noun

1. the act or practice of divination by drawing lots

2. magic or sorcery

Other Word Forms

• sortilegic adjective
• sortilegious adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sortilege¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Medieval Latin sortilegium, for Latin sortilegus, equivalent to sort- (stem of sors ) lot, chance + -i- -i- + -legus (derivative of legere to read, count, choose out); -ium

Word History and Origins

Origin of sortilege¹

C14: via Old French from Medieval Latin sortilegium, from Latin sortilegus a soothsayer, from sors fate + legere to select