necromancy
7 synonyms for necromancy, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The practice of communicating with the dead, especially in order to foretell the future or obtain hidden knowledge.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. noun
The practice of communicating with the dead, especially in order to foretell the future or obtain hidden knowledge.
“The medieval church condemned necromancy as a form of forbidden magic.”
2. noun literary
Magic in general, especially of a dark or sinister kind.
“The villagers whispered that the old man's cures were necromancy.”
How to use necromancy
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Formal and literary when used of historical or religious practice; entirely ordinary vocabulary within fantasy fiction and video games.
Etymology
From Greek nekros "dead body" plus manteia "divination", reaching English through Latin and Old French. The medieval Latin form was reshaped as nigromantia, "black divination", which is why the idea of "black magic" attached to the word.
Full origin of necromancy →