thaumaturgy

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UK/ˈθɔːmətɜːd͡ʒi/US/ˈθɔməˌtɝd͡ʒi/

noun

The working of miracles, wonderworking; magic, witchcraft, wizardry.

Scrabble 20

Meanings

nounthaumaturgy (countable and uncountable, plural thaumaturgies)

plural thaumaturgies

  1. countableuncountableThe working of miracles, wonderworking; magic, witchcraft, wizardry.

    On all subjects known to man, from the Thirty-nine Articles of our English Church, down to pyrotechnics, legerdemain, magic, both black and white, thaumaturgy, and necromancy, he favoured the world (which world was the nursery where I lived amongst my sisters) with his select opinions.

    1853, Thomas De Quincey, “Introduction to the World of Strife”, in Autobiographic Sketches (De Quincey’s Works; I), London: James Hogg & Sons, →OCLC, page 40
    1 more example

    There were astonishing changes. The small hours found Mr. Maydig and Mr. Fotheringay careering across the chilly market square under the still moon, in a sort of ecstasy of thaumaturgy, Mr. Maydig all flap and gesture, Mr. Fotheringay short and bristling, and no longer abashed at his greatness

    1898, H. G. Wells, The Man Who Could Work Miracles

    Synonyms: spellcasting, sorcery, witchery, bewitchery, black arts, charmwork, conjuration, conjuring

Synonyms & antonyms

More synonyms by meaning

nounany art that invokes supernatural powers

Similar

nounan illusory feat; considered magical by naive observers

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekθαυματουργία
  2. Englishthaumaturgy

From Ancient Greek θαυματουργία (thaumatourgía), from θαῦμα (thaûma, “miracle, wonder”) + ἔργον (érgon, “work”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan taumatúrgia
  • taumatúrgiathe working of miracles
Chinese Mandarin 戲法 /戏法
  • 戲法 /戏法 (xìfǎ)the working of miracles
Esperanto taŭmaturgio
  • taŭmaturgiothe working of miracles
French thaumaturgie, sorcellerie
  • thaumaturgiethe working of miracles
  • sorcelleriewitchcraft, wizardry
German Thaumaturgie, Wundertätigkeit
  • Thaumaturgiethe working of miracles
  • Wundertätigkeitthe working of miracles
Italian taumaturgia
  • taumaturgiathe working of miracles
Japanese 奇術, 魔術
  • 奇術 (kijutsu)witchcraft, wizardry
  • 魔術 (majutsu)witchcraft, wizardry
Portuguese taumaturgia, feitiçaria
  • taumaturgiathe working of miracles
  • feitiçariawitchcraft, wizardry
Spanish taumaturgia
  • taumaturgiathe working of miracles
Swedish taumaturgi
  • taumaturgithe working of miracles
Cite this entry
APA

thaumaturgy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thaumaturgy

MLA

“thaumaturgy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thaumaturgy. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “thaumaturgy,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thaumaturgy.

Source: thaumaturgy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.