Sortilege

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈsɔːtɪlɪdÍ¡Ê’/

Origin

From Old French sortilège, from mediæval Latin sortilegium, from Latin sortilegus ("sorcerer, diviner"), from sors ("sort") + legere ("choose")

Full definition of sortilege

Noun

1. Witchcraft, magic, especially as a means of making decisions or predictions.
• 1819, Walter Scott, Ivanhoe:We have therefore summoned to our presence a Jewish woman, by name Rebecca, daughter of Isaac of York — a woman infamous for sortileges and for witcheries.
• 1971, Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic, Folio Society 2012, p. 115:Orthodox believers … were less happy about using sortilege to coerce God into taking decisions on their behalf.
• 2001, JT Leroy, Sarah:‘Too much evil sortilege,’ Glad always says when someone suggests he open a franchise over Cheat Ridge.

Derived terms

• sortilegious