sorcery

American  

[sawr-suh-ree] / ˈsɔr sə ri /

noun

plural

sorceries

1. the art, practices, or spells of a person who is supposed to exercise supernatural powers through the aid of evil spirits; black magic; witchery.

   Synonyms:

   enchantment

---

sorcery British  

/ ˈsɔːsərɪ /

noun

1. the art, practices, or spells of magic, esp black magic, by which it is sought to harness occult forces or evil spirits in order to produce preternatural effects in the world

---

Usage

What does sorcery mean? Sorcery is supernatural power or the ability to use supernatural powers—witchcraft or magic.The word sorcery often (though not always) refers to so-called black magic—magic used for evil purposes.A person who can perform sorcery is called a sorcerer (which can be used for any gender, but typically refers to a man) or a sorceress (which refers to a woman). Sorcerer and sorceress are often used to refer to evil characters in works of fiction, especially in the “sword and sorcery” fantasy genre. In contrast, similar words like wizard and magician usually imply that such figures use their powers for good. If not, you’d usually call them an evil wizard or evil magician.Apart from whether or not it’s used for good or evil, the words sorcery implies great power—and often great skill and command of such power.For this reason, the word sorcery is sometimes used in a figurative way to refer to great skill in something, as if it’s a magical ability, as in Chris’s skill in coding is straight-up sorcery. The word wizardry is used (even more commonly) in the same way. A person who’s skilled in this way can be called a wizard, a sorcerer, or a sorceress.Example: I fear that some evil sorcery has enchanted this land.

Related Words

See magic.

Other Word Forms

• sorcerous adjective

Etymology

Origin of sorcery

1250–1300; Middle English sorcerie, from Medieval Latin sorceria. See sorcerer, -y ³

Compare meaning

How does sorcery compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• sorcery vs. witchcraft

Example Sentences

To HBO, this “Game of Thrones” spinoff is a bridge between its lucrative sword, sorcery and old magic high fantasies.

From Salon • Feb. 23, 2026

Watch Mansfield Town's Louis Reed produce "set-piece sorcery," scoring a sensational free-kick to stun Premier League side Burnley as the League One side reach the FA Cup fifth round.

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026

Ubaldo Vitali declares gold to be “vulgar,” and the silver upon which he performs his sorcery to be the most beautiful precious metal in the world, one that reflects light like no other.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 18, 2025

Rarer still are moments on par with what director and writer Ryan Coogler conjures at that movie’s spiritual peak, where music, dance, cultural reverence and natural sorcery coalesce.

From Salon • May 2, 2025

Then I could chalk it up to Jupe’s awkwardness-repelling sorcery.

From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone