sorcery
n. uncountablen. the use of magic or supernatural powers, especially to influence people or events. It often appears in stories about wizards and ancient myths.
n. the use of supernatural power over the natural world, typically through the use of spells or rituals. Often carries a literary or historical connotation.
The old legends are full of tales about dark sorcery.
In the fantasy novel, the protagonist must learn to control her sorcery before it consumes her strength.
The villagers attributed the sudden, inexplicable blight on their crops to the sorcery of the hermit living in the hills, though modern science would suggest a fungal infection.
From Middle English sorcery, borrowed from Middle French sorcerie, ultimately derived from Latin sors (“fate”), from Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“to bind”). Cognate with serō, seriēs, sermō. Compare also French sorcier.
Uncountable in its abstract sense; occasionally used as a countable noun when referring to specific magical practices.