different between magic vs divination

English

Etymology

From Middle English magik, magyk, from Old French magique (noun and adjective), from Latin magicus (adjective), magica (noun use of feminine form of magicus), from Ancient Greek ??????? (magikós, “magical”), from ????? (mágos, “magus”). Ultimately from Old Iranian, probably derived from Proto-Indo-European *meh?g?- (“to be able to, to help; power, sorcerer”). Displaced native Middle English dweomercraft (“magic, magic arts”) (from Old English dwimor (“phantom, illusion”) + cræft (“art”)), Old English galdorcræft (“magic, enchantment”), Old English dr?cræft (“magic, sorcery”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?mad??k/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?mæd??k/
• Rhymes: -æd??k

Noun

magic (usually uncountable, plural magics)

1. The application of rituals or actions, especially those based on occult knowledge, to subdue or manipulate natural or supernatural beings and forces in order to have some benefit from them [from 14th c.]
   • c. 1489, William Caxton, Foure Sonnes of Aymon:

     And whan he shall be arrayed as I telle you / lete hym thenne doo his incantacyons & his magyke as he wyll […].

   • 1781, Edward Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, II.23:

     The arts of magic and divination were strictly prohibited.

   • 1971, Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic, Folio Society 2012, p. 23:

     Conversions to the new religion […] have frequently been assisted by the view of converts that they are acquiring not just a means of otherworldly salvation, but a new and more powerful magic.

2. A specific ritual or procedure associated with such magic; a spell. [from 14th c.]
3. The supernatural forces which are drawn on in such a ritual.
4. Something producing successful and remarkable results, especially when not fully understood; an enchanting quality; exceptional skill. [from 17th c.]
   1. (computing, slang) Complicated or esoteric code that is not expected to be generally understood.
      • 2017, Jacek Galowicz, C++17 STL Cookbook (page 257)

        The stringstream class hides a lot of string parsing magic from us at this point.

5. A conjuring trick or illusion performed to give the appearance of supernatural phenomena or powers. [from 19th c.]
6. The art or practice of performing conjuring tricks and illusions.

Alternative forms

• magick (fantasy, occult, now used for supernatural magic as distinguished from stage magic)
• magicke (obsolete)
• magique (obsolete)

Synonyms

• (allegedly supernatural method to dominate natural forces): dwimmer, dweomercraft/dwimmercraft, thaumaturgy, conjuring, sorcery, witchcraft, wizardry, wizardcraft, warlockry, hexcraft, spellcraft, spellcasting, spellwork, charmwork, wandwork, enchantment
• (illusion performed to give the appearance of magic or the supernatural): sleight of hand, illusionism, legerdemain, dwimmer

Derived terms

Related terms

• magician

Descendants

• ? Japanese: ???? (majikku)

Translations

Adjective

magic (not comparable)

1. Having supernatural talents, properties or qualities attributed to magic. [from 14th c.]

   Synonym: magical

2. Producing extraordinary results, as though through the use of magic. [from 17th c.]

   Synonyms: wonderful, amazing

3. Pertaining to conjuring tricks or illusions performed for entertainment etc. [from 19th c.]

   Synonym: magical

4. (colloquial) Great; excellent. [from 20th c.]

5. (physics) Describing the number of nucleons in a particularly stable isotopic nucleus; 2, 8, 20, 28, 50, 82, 126, and 184. [from 20th c.]
6. (programming) Being a literal number or string value with no meaning or context, not defined as a constant or variable [from 20th c.]

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

magic (third-person singular simple present magics, present participle magicking, simple past and past participle magicked)

1. (transitive) To produce, transform (something), (as if) by magic. [from 20th c.]

   Synonyms: conjure up, magic up

Derived terms

• magic up

Translations

Anagrams

• gamic

Occitan

Adjective

magic m (feminine singular magica, masculine plural magics, feminine plural magicas)

1. magic, magical

Derived terms

• magicament

Related terms

• magia

Romanian

Etymology

From French magique

Adjective

magic m or n (feminine singular magic?, masculine plural magici, feminine and neuter plural magice)

1. magic

Declension

English

Etymology

From Old French divination, from Latin divinatio.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?d?v??ne???n/
• Rhymes: -e???n

Noun

divination (countable and uncountable, plural divinations)

1. (uncountable) The act of divining; a foreseeing or foretelling of future events.
2. The apparent art of discovering secrets or the future by preternatural means.
3. (countable) An indication of what is to come in the future or what is secret; a prediction.

Hyponyms

• See also Thesaurus:divination

Derived terms

• star divination

Related terms

• divine
• predivination

Translations

See also

• Methods of divination on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

French

Etymology

From Latin d?v?n?ti?.

Pronunciation

Noun

divination f (plural divinations)

1. divination

Further reading

• “divination” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Middle French

Noun

divination f (plural divinations)

1. divination (act of divining)

Related terms

• diviner