witchcraft
noun
witch·craft
ˈwich-ˌkraft 
1
a
: the use of sorcery or magic
b
: communication with the devil or with a familiar
2
: an irresistible influence or fascination
3
a
: rituals and practices that incorporate belief in magic and that are associated especially with neo-pagan traditions and religions (such as Wicca)
Practitioners of Wicca … use the tools … such as the broom (a purifying symbol), the wand, candles, crystals and the knife …. They refer to their practices as witchcraft …—
Lesley Wright
Lesley Wright
b
or less commonly Witchcraft
: a tradition or religion that involves the practice of witchcraft
Feminist witchcraft sees women's oppression and environmental abuse, which they argue are intimately linked, as firmly rooted in patriarchal religions.—Wendy Griffin
Wendy GriffinWicca, which emerged in the 1940s in England, is the original form of modern Pagan Witchcraft.—Meg Yardley
Meg YardleySynonyms
Examples of witchcraft in a Sentence
taught all of her daughters witchcraft
Recent Examples on the Web
Director Robert Eggers' feature debut plays on the specter of witchcraft for a slow-burn psychological thriller that makes colonial fears relevant to modern viewers.
—Megan McCluskey, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024
Twenty-three percent of witchcraft accusations against Scots between 1563 and 1736 involved fairies and elves.
—Frederick Kaufman, Harper's Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024
Its depictions of dancing devils and witches’ sabbaths are supposed to scare viewers straight, but writer-director Benjamin Christensen is also sympathetic towards the plight of medieval women persecuted for witchcraft.
—Katie Rife, EW.com, 12 Mar. 2024
Arrest warrants signal start of Salem witch trials The 17th century witchcraft hysteria that gripped colonial America began on a Leap Day with the issuance of arrest warrants for three women: Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne and Tituba.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 29 Feb. 2024
One of the highly emotional movie’s most disturbing scenes depicts the true-to-life machete attack Chiti experienced at the age of 15 when he was confronted by criminals hoping to profit from the sale of his body parts for witchcraft rituals.
—Gus Alexiou, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2024
Goths, horror fans, witchcraft enthusiasts, the Purgatory crowd and anyone else in the market for a new skull or can check out the first Charlotte Oddities and Curiosities Expo, featuring shopping, taxidermy classes, sideshow performances, body piercing and live human suspension.
—Courtney Devores, Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2024
Warrants issued in Salem witch trials Hysteria overcame the village of Salem in colonial Massachusetts in February 1692, when teenage girls accused several people of practicing witchcraft.
—Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 27 Feb. 2024
Its sinister, woodsy atmospherics, where wet leaves mingle with mud and fishscales and menstrual blood, may suggest witchcraft or devil worship.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 20 Feb. 2024
Megan McCluskey, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024
Twenty-three percent of witchcraft accusations against Scots between 1563 and 1736 involved fairies and elves.
—Frederick Kaufman, Harper's Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024
Its depictions of dancing devils and witches’ sabbaths are supposed to scare viewers straight, but writer-director Benjamin Christensen is also sympathetic towards the plight of medieval women persecuted for witchcraft.
—Katie Rife, EW.com, 12 Mar. 2024
Arrest warrants signal start of Salem witch trials The 17th century witchcraft hysteria that gripped colonial America began on a Leap Day with the issuance of arrest warrants for three women: Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne and Tituba.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 29 Feb. 2024
One of the highly emotional movie’s most disturbing scenes depicts the true-to-life machete attack Chiti experienced at the age of 15 when he was confronted by criminals hoping to profit from the sale of his body parts for witchcraft rituals.
—Gus Alexiou, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2024
Goths, horror fans, witchcraft enthusiasts, the Purgatory crowd and anyone else in the market for a new skull or can check out the first Charlotte Oddities and Curiosities Expo, featuring shopping, taxidermy classes, sideshow performances, body piercing and live human suspension.
—Courtney Devores, Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2024
Warrants issued in Salem witch trials Hysteria overcame the village of Salem in colonial Massachusetts in February 1692, when teenage girls accused several people of practicing witchcraft.
—Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 27 Feb. 2024
Its sinister, woodsy atmospherics, where wet leaves mingle with mud and fishscales and menstrual blood, may suggest witchcraft or devil worship.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 20 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'witchcraft.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Witchcraft.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/witchcraft. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
witchcraft
noun
witch·craft
-ˌkraft
: the use of sorcery or magic
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