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# witchcraft

«witchcraft» in Mova's school dictionary: **The use of magic powers, especially to do harm, as…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 2 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (witchcraft, uncountable)

### meaning for a pupil

1) The use of magic powers, especially to do harm, as believed in stories and in many old beliefs. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/witchcraft/#m1)

2) (history) In the past, a crime people were wrongly accused of, as in the witch trials in Europe and in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/witchcraft/#m2)

3) (informal) Something so clever or surprising it seems like magic. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/witchcraft/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In fairy tales and fantasy books, witches use witchcraft with spells, potions and broomsticks. In history lessons, many innocent people, mostly women, were accused of witchcraft, tried and even killed because of fear and rumours; it is a lesson about blaming people without evidence. The Bible forbids witchcraft, and Christians believe people should trust God, not spells. Some people today follow modern religions such as Wicca, which they call witchcraft or the Craft. Jokingly: "How did you fix that? It's witchcraft!" Phrases: "accused of witchcraft", "witchcraft and wizardry".

### examples

- In the story, the old woman used witchcraft to turn the prince into a frog. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/witchcraft/#x1)
- In 1692, people in Salem were wrongly accused of witchcraft. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/witchcraft/#x2)
- Long ago, people blamed witchcraft for bad harvests. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/witchcraft/#x3)
- The Bible warns against witchcraft. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/witchcraft/#x4)
- Harry Potter goes to a school of witchcraft and wizardry. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/witchcraft/#x5)
- Grandad called the new phone "pure witchcraft". [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/witchcraft/#x6)
- The witch trials show how fear and rumours can hurt innocent people. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/witchcraft/#x7)
- No, I can’t believe that it is anything but witchcraft! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/witchcraft/#x8)

### note

Uncountable: "witchcraft", not "a witchcraft". One word. Myth trap: there is no scientific evidence that spells or curses work. Historical accusations of witchcraft were based on fear and gossip, not facts.

### In the corpora

- [For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/jps/1SA.406/)
- [And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thy hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers;](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/jps/MIC.74/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «witchcraft» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/witchcraft/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.