witchcraft en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈwɪt͡ʃkɹɑːft/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˈwɪt͡ʃkɹæft/ (General-American)
Etymology
From Middle English wicchecraft, wicchecreft, from Old English wiċċecræft, equivalent to witch + -craft.
Meanings
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(uncountable, usually) The practice of witches; magic, sorcery, or the use of supernatural powers to influence or predict events.
Wiccans believe in a modernised form of witchcraft.
The way Green practices witchcraft defies stereotypes of broomstick-wielding, cauldron-toting, pointy-hatted witches. He doesn’t belong to a coven. He’s not Wiccan or pagan, religions that are rooted in witchcraft. He has a few cats, though they’re better suited for snuggling than serving as helpful familiars.
2024 October 26, Scottie Andrew, “Witches walk among us — but they’re not like the fictional ones you grew up with”, in CNN, archived from the original on 06 Jul 2025:We may smile now to hear witchcraft spoken seriously of; but we forget perhaps that a belief in it is like a belief in the after appearance of the dead among the blue waters, the green graves, the still starry atmosphere and the great shadowy woods of our earth; […]
1828, John Neal, chapter I, in Rachel Dyer: A North American Story, Portland, Me.: Shirley and Hyde, →OCLC, page 22:Such witchcraft has no power now to show itself, because the people don't believe in it any more.
1881, P. Chr. Asbjörnsen [i.e., Peter Christen Asbjørnsen], “A Day with the Capercailzies”, in H. L. Brækstad, transl., Round the Yule Log. Norwegian Folk and Fairy Tales, London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, →OCLC, page 84:
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(uncountable, usually) Black magic; the use of witchcraft for evil means.
The Bible warns against the use of witchcraft and sorcery.
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(uncountable, usually) Something, such as an advanced technology, that seems almost magical.
There can be no denying that the more than 100 exhibiting companies and divisions also gave full play to examples of their latest technological witchcraft, as befits the foremost US aerospace event.
1987, Air Force Magazine, volume 70, page 88:
- (uncountable, usually) An irresistible or seemingly magical influence.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| witchcrafts | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
witchcrafty · witchcraftsman · counterwitchcraft · antiwitchcraft · witchcraftical
Relateds
witchery · druidcraft · sorcery · gypsycraft · wizardry · spellcraft · warlockry · hexcraft · spellcasting · wizardcraft
Synonyms
witchcraft · spellcraft · enchantment · dweomercraft · goety · sorcery · whistness · wizardry · dark magic · wizardcraft · goety · mojo · hexerei · warlockry · witchery · black magic · cacomagic · diablerie · dark arts · magic · wizardry · witchwork · spellcasting · gypsycraft · witchcraft · dwimmer · witchwork · jugglery · sorcery · druidcraft · witchdom · charmwork · hexcraft · goety · witchery · conjuration · spellwork · craft · sortilege · conjuring · dwimmercraft · wandwork · dark magic · witchdom · black arts · thaumaturgy · sorcery · wonderworking · bewitchery
Translations (162)
is fjölkynngi (the practice of witches) · ro vrăjitorie (the practice of witches) · kix vāisō (the practice of witches) · hi जादूगरी (the practice of witches) · kk сиқырлаушылық (the practice of witches) · la artes magicae (the practice of witches) · sa अभिचार (the practice of witches) · nrf chorchell'lie (the practice of witches) · id sihir (the practice of witches) · fa-ira جادوگَری (the practice of witches) · izh noijitus (the practice of witches) · ru ведовство́ (the practice of witches) · zza nuşte (diq) (the practice of witches) · fa-ira کِید (the practice of witches) · nl hekserij (the practice of witches) · uk чарівни́цтво (the practice of witches) · da heksekunst (the practice of witches) · niq ponisio (the practice of witches) · ja 魔法 (the practice of witches) · ee dzosasa (the practice of witches) · sv trolldom (the practice of witches) · sh враџбина (the practice of witches) · kk дуалаушылық (the practice of witches) · lo ເວດມົນ (the practice of witches) · tg сеҳр (the practice of witches) · ru волшба́ (the practice of witches) · sh вјештичарство (the practice of witches) · ka გრძნეულება (the practice of witches) · mk волшепство (the practice of witches) · ko 마법 (the practice of witches) · cy swyngyfaredd (the practice of witches) · mi kaiatua (the practice of witches) · ko 마술 (the practice of witches) · nb hekseri (the practice of witches) · km វេទមន្ត (the practice of witches) · mi mākutu (the practice of witches) · kk сиқыршылық (the practice of witches) · de Hexerei (the practice of witches) · es agüizote (the practice of witches) · tg ҷодугарӣ (the practice of witches) · tr cadılık (the practice of witches) · br sorserezh (the practice of witches) · sh вештичарство (the practice of witches) · gv pishag (the practice of witches) · pl czary (the practice of witches) · sco glamour (the practice of witches) · kk дуагерлік (the practice of witches) · da trolddom (the practice of witches) · my ပယောဂ (the practice of witches) · no heksekunst (the practice of witches) · ga síofrógacht (the practice of witches) · kk жадыгөйлік (the practice of witches) · ka მისნობა (the practice of witches) · sco glamourie (the practice of witches) · ur جادُوگَری (the practice of witches) · az sehr (the practice of witches) · sh vradžbina (the practice of witches) · mer urogi (the practice of witches) · he כְּשָׁפִים (the practice of witches) · fi noituus (the practice of witches) · ja 魔術 (the practice of witches) · bn ডাকিনীবিদ্যাā (the practice of witches) · sco bogle wark (the practice of witches) · cy dewiniaeth (the practice of witches) · it stregoneria (the practice of witches) · mfe sorselri (the practice of witches) · gv obbeeys (the practice of witches) · sk čarodejníctvo (the practice of witches) · kk арбаушылық (the practice of witches) · la veneficium (the practice of witches) · hy կախարդություն (the practice of witches) · got 𐌻𐌿𐌱𐌾𐌰𐌻𐌴𐌹𐍃𐌴𐌹 (the practice of witches) · ru волхвова́ние (the practice of witches) · uz sehrgarlik (the practice of witches) · id tenung (the practice of witches) · pdt Hakjsenkonst (the practice of witches) · yao usaŵi class 14 (the practice of witches) · cmn 巫術 /巫术 (the practice of witches) · mi taurarua (the practice of witches) · eo sorĉado (the practice of witches) · fa-ira سِحْر (the practice of witches) · ky сыйкырчылык (the practice of witches) · ilo tamay (the practice of witches) · ka ჯადოქრობა (the practice of witches) · ms sihir (the practice of witches) · ja 妖術 (the practice of witches) · bg вълшебство́ (the practice of witches) · lt raganavimas (the practice of witches) · cmn 魔法 (the practice of witches) · gl meiguería (the practice of witches) · ru волшебство́ (the practice of witches) · pdt Hakjsarie (the practice of witches) · sh vještičarstvo (the practice of witches) · ga diabhlaíocht (the practice of witches) · ast bruxería (the practice of witches) · ml ആഭിചാരം (the practice of witches) · sw urogi (the practice of witches) · uk чаклу́нство (the practice of witches) · ga asarlaíocht (the practice of witches) · tr büyü (the practice of witches) · ar سِحْر (the practice of witches) · gd buidseachd (the practice of witches) · sv häxeri (the practice of witches) · es brujería (the practice of witches) · sco witcherie (the practice of witches) · et nõidus (the practice of witches) · uz jodugarlik (the practice of witches) · la artes magicarum (the practice of witches) · la maleficium (the practice of witches) · cmn 魔術 /魔术 (the practice of witches) · az cadugərlik (the practice of witches) · la fascinum (the practice of witches) · grc γοητεία (the practice of witches) · de Hexenkunst (the practice of witches) · es ahuizote (the practice of witches) · ru ворожба́ (the practice of witches) · el μαγεία (the practice of witches) · cs čarodějnictví (the practice of witches) · bg магьо́сничество (the practice of witches) · ga tuaithe (the practice of witches) · ko 요술 (the practice of witches) · gv buitçheraght (the practice of witches) · la artes magae (the practice of witches) · km ធ្មប់ (the practice of witches) · da hekseri (the practice of witches) · sl čarovništvo (the practice of witches) · ml മന്ത്രവാദം (the practice of witches) · hi टोना (the practice of witches) · sco witchcraft (the practice of witches) · th เวทมนตร์ (the practice of witches) · ru чароде́йство (the practice of witches) · sv häxkonst (the practice of witches) · fr sorcellerie (the practice of witches) · lv raganošana (the practice of witches) · ar شَعْوَذَة (the practice of witches) · vi thuật phù thủy (the practice of witches) · be чараўні́цтва (the practice of witches) · tg ҷоду (the practice of witches) · hnn padaya (the practice of witches) · nn hekseri (the practice of witches) · mi whaiwhaiā (the practice of witches) · pt bruxaria (the practice of witches) · sco can (the practice of witches) · bg чароде́йство (the practice of witches) · zza sihir (the practice of witches) · hy թովչանք (the practice of witches) · ur ٹونا (the practice of witches) · ka მაგია (the practice of witches) · bo མཐུ (the practice of witches) · ru колдовство́ (the practice of witches) · ga draíocht (the practice of witches) · sh veštičarstvo (the practice of witches) · mi whaiwaiā (the practice of witches) · mk маѓепсништво (the practice of witches) · sco sorcery (the practice of witches) · mk чи́нка (the practice of witches) · izh noijitos (the practice of witches) · ny ufiti (the practice of witches) · ca bruixeria (the practice of witches) · sw uganga (the practice of witches) · gl bruxaría (the practice of witches) · tr sihir (the practice of witches)