What does WITCHCRAFT mean?
Definitions for WITCHCRAFT
ˈwɪtʃˌkræft, -ˌkrɑftwitch·craft
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word WITCHCRAFT.
Princeton's WordNet
witchcraft, witcherynoun
the art of sorcery
GCIDE
witchcraftnoun
Adherence to or the practice of Wicca. In this sense the term does not necessarily include attempts at practice of magic, other than by prayers to the deities.
Wiktionary
witchcraftnoun
The practice of witches; magic, sorcery or the use supernatural powers to influence or predict events.
Etymology: From wiccecræft, compound of wicce and cræft.
Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
Witchcraftnoun
The practices of witches.
Etymology: witch and craft.
Urania name, whose force he knew so well,
He quickly knew what witchcraft gave the blow. Philip Sidney.If you cannot
Bar his access to the king, never attempt
Any thing on him, for he hath a witchcraft
Over the king in’s tongue. William Shakespeare, Hen. VIII.People are credulous, and ready to impute accidents and natural operations to witchcraft. Francis Bacon, Nat. Hist.
What subtile witchcraft man constrains,
To change his pleasure into pains. John Denham.
Wikipedia
Witchcraft
Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have used malevolent magic against their own community, and often to have communed with evil beings. It was thought witchcraft could be thwarted by protective magic or counter-magic, which could be provided by cunning folk or folk healers. Suspected witches were also intimidated, banished, attacked or killed. Often they would be formally prosecuted and punished, if found guilty or simply believed to be guilty. European witch-hunts and witch trials in the early modern period led to tens of thousands of executions. In some regions, many of those accused of witchcraft were folk healers or midwives. European belief in witchcraft gradually dwindled during and after the Age of Enlightenment. Contemporary cultures that believe in magic and the supernatural often believe in witchcraft. Anthropologists have applied the term "witchcraft" to similar beliefs and occult practices described by many non-European cultures, and cultures that have adopted the English language will often call these practices "witchcraft", as well. As with the cunning-folk in Europe, Indigenous communities that believe in the existence of witchcraft define witches as the opposite of their healers and medicine people, who are sought out for protection against witchcraft. Modern witch-hunting takes place in parts of Africa and Asia. A theory that witchcraft was a survival of a European pagan religion (the witch-cult hypothesis) gained popularity in the early 20th century, but has been discredited. A newer theory is that the idea of "witchcraft" developed to explain strange misfortune, similar to ideas such as the evil eye. In contemporary Western culture, most notably since the growth of Wicca from the 1950s, some modern pagans and followers of New Age belief systems may self-identify as "witches", and use the term "witchcraft" for their self-help, healing or divination rituals. Others avoid the term due to its negative connotations.
ChatGPT
witchcraft
Witchcraft refers to the practice of, and belief in, magical skills, abilities, and activities associated with witches. It is generally perceived as a means of harnessing supernatural or mystical powers to effect change in the world, usually through rituals, spells, conjurations, potions, charms, or incantations. Witchcraft can be seen in numerous cultures, religions, and mythologies around the world, often varying considerably between different contexts and societies.
Webster Dictionary
Witchcraftnoun
the practices or art of witches; sorcery; enchantments; intercourse with evil spirits
Witchcraftnoun
power more than natural; irresistible influence
Etymology: [AS. wiccecrft.]
Wikidata
Witchcraft
Witchcraft is the use of magical faculties, most commonly for religious, divinatory or medicinal purposes. This may take many forms depending on cultural context. The belief in and the practise of magic has been present since the earliest human cultures and continues to have an important religious and medicinal role in many cultures today. "Magic is central not only in 'primitive' societies but in 'high cultural' societies as well..." The concept of witchcraft as harmful is often treated as a cultural ideology providing a scapegoat for human misfortune. This was particularily the case in Early Modern Europe where witchcraft came to be seen as part of a vast diabolical conspiracy of individuals in league with the Devil undermining Christianity, eventually leading to large-scale witch-hunts, especially in Protestant Europe. Witch hunts continue to this day with tragic consequences. Since the mid-20th century Witchcraft has become the designation of a branch of contemporary Paganism, it is most notably practised in the Wiccan traditions, some of whom claim to practice a revival of pre-Abrahamic spirituality.
U.S. National Library of Medicine
Witchcraft
An act of employing sorcery (the use of power gained from the assistance or control of spirits), especially with malevolent intent, and the exercise of supernatural powers and alleged intercourse with the devil or a familiar. (From Webster, 3d ed)
Suggested Resources
witchcraft
Song lyrics by witchcraft -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by witchcraft on the Lyrics.com website.
Matched Categories
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of WITCHCRAFT in Chaldean Numerology is: 1
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of WITCHCRAFT in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3
Examples of WITCHCRAFT in a Sentence
Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan:
There are different factions of (witchcraft). While it doesn't bother me to release that particular thing, I most assuredly do not want to defame or demean any particular practice.
In our African culture there are taboos ... we say 'this child is cursed', we will say there is witchcraft, that this child is irrecoverable, when you live ... without knowing if you are he or she, when you have to constantly justify who you are, its not easy.
I am not engaging in any witchcraft. I am only using traditional herbs to help people who do not respond to conventional medicines. Why am I being punished?
So far, we have found 10 bodies, and most of their private parts and teeth had been removed, these murders are linked to witchcraft practices because that is the trend for such crimes, where herbalists ask people to get these human parts for money rituals.
People were attributing the deaths to witchcraft, that's why people died.
Popularity rank by frequency of use
References
Translations for WITCHCRAFT
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- ডাকিনীবিদ্যাBengali
- bruixeriaCatalan, Valencian
- čarodějnictvíCzech
- heksekunst, trolddom, hekseriDanish
- HexereiGerman
- dzosasaEwe
- brujeríaSpanish
- nõidusEstonian
- کیدPersian
- noituusFinnish
- sorcellerieFrench
- buidseachdScottish Gaelic
- թովչանքArmenian
- stregoneriaItalian
- 魔術, 妖術, 魔法Japanese
- veneficium, artes magicarum, artes magicae, fascinum, maleficium, artes magaeLatin
- mākutu, taurarua, whaiwaiāMāori
- മന്ത്രവാദംMalayalam
- hekseriNorwegian
- hekserijDutch
- hekseriNorwegian Nynorsk
- heksekunstNorwegian
- czaryPolish
- bruxariaPortuguese
- колдовствоRussian
- вештичарство, veštičarstvoSerbo-Croatian
- ndumba, uganga, urogiSwahili
- மாந்திரீகத்தில்Tamil
- มดThai
Get even more translations for WITCHCRAFT »
Translation
Find a translation for the WITCHCRAFT definition in other languages:
Select another language:
- - Select -
- 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
- 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
- Español (Spanish)
- Esperanto (Esperanto)
- 日本語 (Japanese)
- Português (Portuguese)
- Deutsch (German)
- العربية (Arabic)
- Français (French)
- Русский (Russian)
- ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
- 한국어 (Korean)
- עברית (Hebrew)
- Gaeilge (Irish)
- Українська (Ukrainian)
- اردو (Urdu)
- Magyar (Hungarian)
- मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
- Indonesia (Indonesian)
- Italiano (Italian)
- தமிழ் (Tamil)
- Türkçe (Turkish)
- తెలుగు (Telugu)
- ภาษาไทย (Thai)
- Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
- Čeština (Czech)
- Polski (Polish)
- Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
- Românește (Romanian)
- Nederlands (Dutch)
- Ελληνικά (Greek)
- Latinum (Latin)
- Svenska (Swedish)
- Dansk (Danish)
- Suomi (Finnish)
- فارسی (Persian)
- ייִדיש (Yiddish)
- հայերեն (Armenian)
- Norsk (Norwegian)
- English (English)
Word of the Day
Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?
Citation
Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"WITCHCRAFT." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 17 Jun 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/WITCHCRAFT>.
Discuss these WITCHCRAFT definitions with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In