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witchcraft

[ wich-kraft, -krahft ]
/ ˈwÉȘtʃˌkrĂŠft, -ˌkrɑft /
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noun
the art or practices of a witch; sorcery; magic.
magical influence; witchery.

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Origin of witchcraft

before 950; Middle English wicchecraft,Old English wiccecrĂŠft.See witch, craft

synonym study for witchcraft

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

How to use witchcraft in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for witchcraft

witchcraft
/ (ˈwÉȘtʃˌkrɑːft) /

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