necromancy
noun
nec·ro·man·cy
ˈne-krə-ˌman(t)-sē 
1
: conjuration (see conjure sense 2a) of the spirits of the dead for purposes of magically revealing the future or influencing the course of events
The novel centers on the practice of necromancy and its influence on the world of the living.
Examples of necromancy in a Sentence
The town accused her of witchcraft and necromancy.
in the conjuring of the souls of the dead, necromancy seemed to offer human beings a means of exerting some control over an uncertain world
Recent Examples on the Web
Here’s Page’s step-by-step guide on how to go about medieval necromancy in a productive, yet safe, manner.
—
Jonny Thomson, Big Think, 18 Dec. 2024
The end of an era Happily for sacrificial bats and young cousins all over Europe, necromancy was waning by the end of the 18th century.
—Jonny Thomson, Big Think, 18 Dec. 2024
The history of necromancy is an interesting window into our past more broadly.
—Jonny Thomson, Big Think, 18 Dec. 2024
The act was short and provided few details about what constituted witchcraft, sorcery or necromancy.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Mar. 2025
After her death, Morgan even resorted to necromancy, reviving the People’s Princess (now embodied by Elizabeth Debicki) as an apparition who soothes a disconsolate Charles (Dominic West) and makes peace with a grieving but resentful Elizabeth (Imelda Staunton).
—Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2023
Part of my aversion arises from my own hidebound premodern Calvinist outlook, in which death is no laughing matter and necromancy is forbidden by God (see Deuteronomy 18:9-13).
—Barton Swaim, WSJ, 26 Oct. 2023
Season 8, which arrived on BritBox last month, includes a spooky Christmas tale, a bright spin on necromancy, a game show that doesn’t go according to plan (hosted by Lee Mack) and an off-kilter love story.
—Margaret Lyons, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2023
The necromancy reference and Gideon's own interest in cloning would seem to be connections to the cloning project that led to Snoke and the eventual reveal of the cloned Emperor Palpatine in The Rise of Skywalker.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 12 Apr. 2023
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Jonny Thomson, Big Think, 18 Dec. 2024
The end of an era Happily for sacrificial bats and young cousins all over Europe, necromancy was waning by the end of the 18th century.
—Jonny Thomson, Big Think, 18 Dec. 2024
The history of necromancy is an interesting window into our past more broadly.
—Jonny Thomson, Big Think, 18 Dec. 2024
The act was short and provided few details about what constituted witchcraft, sorcery or necromancy.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Mar. 2025
After her death, Morgan even resorted to necromancy, reviving the People’s Princess (now embodied by Elizabeth Debicki) as an apparition who soothes a disconsolate Charles (Dominic West) and makes peace with a grieving but resentful Elizabeth (Imelda Staunton).
—Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2023
Part of my aversion arises from my own hidebound premodern Calvinist outlook, in which death is no laughing matter and necromancy is forbidden by God (see Deuteronomy 18:9-13).
—Barton Swaim, WSJ, 26 Oct. 2023
Season 8, which arrived on BritBox last month, includes a spooky Christmas tale, a bright spin on necromancy, a game show that doesn’t go according to plan (hosted by Lee Mack) and an off-kilter love story.
—Margaret Lyons, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2023
The necromancy reference and Gideon's own interest in cloning would seem to be connections to the cloning project that led to Snoke and the eventual reveal of the cloned Emperor Palpatine in The Rise of Skywalker.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 12 Apr. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Necromancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/necromancy. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
necromancy
noun
nec·ro·man·cy
ˈnek-rə-ˌman(t)-sē
1
: the art or practice of calling up the spirits of the dead for magical purposes
2
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