as in sorcery
the power to control natural forces through supernatural means
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
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Recent Examples of necromancy
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
Vo’s introduction of witchcraft, necromancy and enchantment miraculously produces a more relevant novel than that poetic tale of a gaudy stalker and his closeted pimp that’s been passed off for decades as the ultimate interrogation of the American Dream.
—Washington Post, 18 June 2021
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
Faith is desperately pinned to necromancy.
—Robert Shackleton, Harper’s Magazine , 25 May 2022
Many writers, especially of the Afropessimist school, argue that Black trauma has been hijacked by narratives of redemption, as names like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor cease to refer to individuals and become—by a kind of necromancy—avatars of others’ political ideals.
—Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 20 Sep. 2021
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
Vo’s introduction of witchcraft, necromancy and enchantment miraculously produces a more relevant novel than that poetic tale of a gaudy stalker and his closeted pimp that’s been passed off for decades as the ultimate interrogation of the American Dream.
—Washington Post, 18 June 2021
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
Faith is desperately pinned to necromancy.
—Robert Shackleton, Harper’s Magazine , 25 May 2022
Many writers, especially of the Afropessimist school, argue that Black trauma has been hijacked by narratives of redemption, as names like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor cease to refer to individuals and become—by a kind of necromancy—avatars of others’ political ideals.
—Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 20 Sep. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for necromancy
Noun
-
The act was short and provided few details about what constituted witchcraft, sorcery or necromancy.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
10 Mar. 2025
-
Lawrence-Mathers not only shows the bonds between religion and sorcery but examines the sheer beauty of the manuscripts involved, from illumination to illustration.—
Bethanne Patrick,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Continuing in the tradition of such Disney+ witchcraft staples as the Hocus Pocus movie franchise and Marvel’s Agatha All Along, Disney Branded Television has given a pilot order to Coven Academy (woking title), a single-camera supernatural dramedy for Disney Channel and Disney+.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
11 Mar. 2025
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The two women and their supporters are seeking a pardon, an apology and a national memorial in honor of all those accused and convicted of witchcraft during the law’s 173-year reign.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
10 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
At its core, the series emphasizes that the real magic lies in human endurance, physical mastery, and mental strength.—
Tony Bradley,
Forbes,
22 Mar. 2025
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The decor is also a match to the magic of the menu.—
Chrissie McClatchie,
Travel + Leisure,
21 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Necromancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/necromancy. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.
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