Meanings
plural thaumaturgies
- 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 401 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 MiraclesSynonyms: spellcasting, sorcery, witchery, bewitchery, black arts, charmwork, conjuration, conjuring
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe working of miracles, wonderworking; magic, witchcraft, wizardry.
More synonyms by meaning
nounan illusory feat; considered magical by naive observers
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekθαυματουργία
- Englishthaumaturgy
From Ancient Greek θαυματουργία (thaumatourgía), from θαῦμα (thaûma, “miracle, wonder”) + ἔργον (érgon, “work”).
More words from Ancient Greek
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
thaumaturgy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thaumaturgy
“thaumaturgy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thaumaturgy. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “thaumaturgy,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thaumaturgy.
Source: thaumaturgy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.