nec·ro·man·cy

(nĕk′rə-măn′sē)

1. The practice of supposedly communicating with the spirits of the dead in order to predict the future.

2. Black magic; sorcery.

3. Magic qualities.

[Alteration of Middle English nigromancie, from Old French nigremancie, from Medieval Latin nigromantia, alteration (influenced by Latin niger, black) of Late Latin necromantīa, from Greek nekromanteia : nekros, corpse; see nek- in Indo-European roots + -manteia, -mancy.]

nec′ro·man′cer n.

nec′ro·man′tic (-măn′tĭk) adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

necromancy

(ˈnɛkrəʊˌmænsɪ)

1. (Alternative Belief Systems) the art or practice of supposedly conjuring up the dead, esp in order to obtain from them knowledge of the future

2. black magic; sorcery

[C13: (as in sense 1) ultimately from Greek nekromanteia, from nekros corpse; (as in sense 2) from Medieval Latin nigromantia, from Latin niger black, which replaced necro- through folk etymology]

ˈnecroˌmancer n

ˌnecroˈmantic adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

nec•ro•man•cy

(ˈnɛk rəˌmæn si)

n.

1. a method of divination through invocation of the dead.

2. magic in general, esp. that practiced by a witch or sorcerer; conjuration.

[1300–50; Middle English nigromancie < Medieval Latin nigromantīa, for Late Latin necromantīa < Greek nekromanteía; see necro-, -mancy]

nec′ro•man`cer, n.

nec`ro•man′tic, adj.

necromancy

1. the magie practiced by a witch or sorcerer.
2. a form of divination through communication with the dead; the black art. Also nigromancy. — necromancer, necromant, nigromancien, n. — necromantie, adj.

necromancy

1. Asking the dead to answer questions about the future using automatic writing, a ouija board, or through a medium.

2. The summoning of the dead for the purposes of divination.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	necromancy - the belief in magical spells that harness occult forces or evil spirits to produce unnatural effects in the world black art, black magic, sorcery magic, thaumaturgy - any art that invokes supernatural powers witchcraft, witchery - the art of sorcery bewitchment, enchantment - a magical spell demonism, diabolism, Satanism - a belief in and reverence for devils (especially Satan) obiism - belief in a kind of sorcery that originated in Africa and is practiced in the West Indies
	2.	necromancy - conjuring up the dead, especially for prophesying fortune telling, soothsaying, foretelling, divination - the art or gift of prophecy (or the pretense of prophecy) by supernatural means

necromancy

noun magic, witchcraft, voodoo, the occult (rare), wizardry, black magic, enchantment, divination, occultism, sorcery, black art, demonology, witchery, voodooism They were accused of using necromancy and the black arts.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

nekromantia

nécromancie

negromanzia

necromantianigromantia

necromancia nigromancia

некромантия

necromancy

[ˈnekrəʊmænsɪ] N → nigromancia f, nigromancía f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

necromancy

[ˈnɛkrəmænsi] n → nécromancie f

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

necromancy

n → Toten- or Geisterbeschwörung f, → Nekromantie f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

necromancy

[ˈnɛkrəʊˌmænsɪ] n (frm) → negromanzia

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

By his skill in necromancy he has a power of calling whom he pleases from the dead, and commanding their service for twenty-four hours, but no longer; nor can he call the same persons up again in less than three months, except upon very extraordinary occasions.

View in context

There is a dread, unhallowed necromancy of evil, that turns things sweetest and holiest to phantoms of horror and affright.

View in context

We ought to mention however, that the sciences of Egypt, that necromancy and magic, even the whitest, even the most innocent, had no more envenomed enemy, no more pitiless denunciator before the gentlemen of the officialty of Notre-Dame.

View in context

As this ancient lady had the renown (which subsequently cost her no less a price than her life) of being a principal actor in all the works of necromancy that were continually going forward, the crowd gave way before her, and seemed to fear the touch of her garment, as if it carried the plague among its gorgeous folds.

View in context

And yet--and here enters the necromancy of John Barleycorn--that afternoon's drunk on the Idler had been a purple passage flung into the monotony of my days.

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But do thou, brother, return to me as if it were to the house of thy father, and bring me word how it has sped with thee; and well do I hope thou wilt bring with thee Rebecca, even the scholar of the wise Miriam, whose cures the Gentiles slandered as if they had been wrought by necromancy.''

View in context

So much he profits in divinity, That shortly he was grac'd with doctor's name, Excelling all, and sweetly can dispute In th' heavenly matters of theology; Till swoln with cunning, of a self-conceit, His waxen wings did mount above his reach, And, melting, heavens conspir'd his overthrow; For, falling to a devilish exercise, And glutted now with learning's golden gifts, He surfeits upon cursed necromancy; Nothing so sweet as magic is to him, Which he prefers before his chiefest bliss: And this the man that in his study sits.

View in context

Thick coats of paint had been laid on the naked poll, and certain fanciful designs, in the same material, had even been extended into the neighbourhood of the eyes and mouth, lending to the keen expression of the former a look of twinkling cunning, and to the dogmatism of the latter, not a little of the grimness of necromancy. He had been despoiled of his upper garments, and, in their stead, his body was sufficiently protected from the cold, by a fantastically painted robe of dressed deer-skin.

View in context

This vampire which is amongst us is of himself so strong in person as twenty men, he is of cunning more than mortal, for his cunning be the growth of ages, he have still the aids of necromancy, which is, as his etymology imply, the divination by the dead, and all the dead that he can come nigh to are for him at command, he is brute, and more than brute, he is devil in callous, and the heart of him is not, he can, within his range, direct the elements, the storm, the fog, the thunder, he can command all the meaner things, the rat, and the owl, and the bat, the moth, and the fox, and the wolf, he can grow and become small, and he can at times vanish and come unknown.

View in context

I had an unpleasant mental vision of the dark road, of the sombre grounds, and the desolately suspicious aspect of that home of necromancy and intrigue and feminist adoration.

View in context

I really don't believe we have that many remaining fundamental nationalist necromancy supporters left in Britain.

May should put her plan to the people

It's got flying people, a disappearing carpenter, necromancy and water that tastes like wine.

HOLY SMOKE! [...]; Guest columnist SUSIE BONIFACE