witchcraft

[ wich-kraft ]
See synonyms for witchcraft on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the art or practices of a witch; sorcery or magical influence; magic, especially for evil purposes: She was arrested on the charge of witchcraft in September of 1665.Some people believe the disease is caused by witchcraft or a curse.

  2. the modern practice of magic as a spiritual observance, especially as associated with neopaganism or Wicca: The presence of witchcraft has increased greatly on college campuses in the last ten years.

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Origin of witchcraft

1
First recorded before 950; Middle English wicchecraft, Old English wiccecræft; equivalent to witch + craft

synonym study For witchcraft

1. See magic.

Words Nearby witchcraft

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use witchcraft in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for witchcraft

witchcraft

/ (ˈwɪtʃˌkrɑːft) /


noun
  1. the art or power of bringing magical or preternatural power to bear or the act or practice of attempting to do so

  2. the influence of magic or sorcery

  1. fascinating or bewitching influence or charm

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

Cultural definitions for witchcraft

witchcraft

Popularly believed to be the practice of black magic. Witches are known today as followers of Wicca, a pagan nature religion with roots in pre-Christian western Europe. Wicca is now undergoing a revival, especially in the United States and Great Britain.

Notes for witchcraft

Old misunderstandings and hysterical accusations have led to persecution of “witches,” most famously in the Salem witch trials of 1692.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.