necromancy

What it means

1. countableuncountableDivination involving the dead or death.

   1867 E. Rogers, quoted in K. Thomas Relig. & Decline of Magic the Devil did often tempt me to study necromancy and nigromancy and to make use of magic, and to make a league with him...

   3 more examples

   And for to make this treatise the more pleasaunt and facill, I have put it in forme of a Dialogue, which I have diuided into three bookes: The first speaking of Magie in general, and Necromancie in special.

   1597, King James Daemonologie, (Please provide the book title or journal name)

   And in one word for all, Nagomancy, or Necromancy; by inspecting, consulting, and divining by, with, or from the dead.

   1652, Gaule The Magastromancer, (Please provide the book title or journal name)

   There is no doubt..that necromancy is the touch-stone of occultism...

   1920, L. Spence, Encyc. Occult

2. countableuncountableLoosely, any sorcery or witchcraft, especially involving death or the dead, particularly sorcery involving raising or reanimating the dead.
3. InternetcountableuncountableSynonym of necroposting.

   Synonyms: necroposting

In a sentence

And for to make this treatise the more pleasaunt and facill, I have put it in forme of a Dialogue, which I have diuided into three bookes: The first speaking of Magie in general, and Necromancie in special.

1597, King James Daemonologie, (Please provide the book title or journal name)

Where it comes from

1. Ancient Greekνεκρομαντεία
2. Latinnecromantia
3. Medieval Latinnigromantia
4. Old Frenchnigromancie
5. Middle Englishnigromancye
6. Englishnecromancy

Circa 1300, from Middle English nigromancye, from Old French nigromancie, from Medieval Latin nigromantia, from Latin necromantia, from Ancient Greek νεκρομαντεία (nekromanteía), νεκρός (nekrós, “dead”) + μαντεία (manteía, “divination”). Medieval Latin spelling, incorporating niger (“black”), influenced by the notion of black art. Modern spelling adopted in mid-1500s. By surface analysis, necro- + -mancy.