sympathetic magic

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noun

magic predicated on the belief that one thing or event can affect another at a distance as a consequence of a sympathetic connection between them.

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Compare contagious magic, imitative magic.

Origin of sympathetic magic

First recorded in 1900–05

Words nearby sympathetic magic

sympathetectomy, sympathetic, sympathetic contact, sympathetic ink, sympathetic introspection, sympathetic magic, sympathetic nervous system, sympathetic ophthalmia, sympathetic strike, sympathetic string, sympathetic vibration

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sympathetic magic in a sentence

In the end, the line between magic and religion may be something of an artificial one.
Harry Potter and the Torah of Terror|Candida Moss, Joel Baden|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“One of the producers on a story we were doing on the Orlando Magic told me about this young guy he really liked,” Jaffe said.
Remembering ESPN’s Sly, Cocky, and Cool Anchor Stuart Scott|Stereo Williams|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The future Mr. Vergara—and star of ‘True Blood’ and ‘Magic Mike’ shares some life advice in an exclusive video.
Who Is Joe Manganiello? Sofia Vergara’s Fiancé on the Value of Hard Work|The Daily Beast Video|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At this point, the female rapper comes across as fairly sympathetic—that is, until Azealia Banks grabs the mic.
Solange Smacks Jay Z, Legolas Slaps Bieber, and the Biggest Celebrity Feuds of the Year|Amy Zimmerman|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Despite all the gun talk in “Hot N—,” everyone wanted a piece of him and his magic.
Bobby Shmurda and Rap’s Ultimate Hoop Dream|Rawiya Kameir|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Here began indeed, in the drab surroundings of the workshop, in the silent mystery of the laboratory, the magic of the new age.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
A tall phantom in livery appeared, as if by magic, and signed to me to ascend the grand staircase.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
However, on reaching Spain, the magic of the Emperor's personality soon restored the vigour and prestige of the French arms.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
Father, mother, sister, and brother all played and worked together with rare combination of sympathetic gifts.
Kipling Stories and Poems Every Child Should Know, Book II|Rudyard Kipling
The temptation to pour his financial troubles into the sympathetic ears of these two dear women he resisted.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke

British Dictionary definitions for sympathetic magic

sympathetic magic

noun

a type of magic in which it is sought to produce a large-scale effect, often at a distance, by performing some small-scale ceremony resembling it, such as the pouring of water on an altar to induce rainfall

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012