conjuration

English

Etymology

From Middle English conjuracioun, from Middle French conjuration, from Old French conjuracion, from Latin coniuratio (“a swearing together, a conspiracy”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌkʌnd͡ʒəˈɹeɪʃən/, /ˌkɒnd͡ʒəˈɹeɪʃən/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

Noun

conjuration (countable and uncountable, plural conjurations)

1. Conjuring, legerdemain or magic.
   • 1827, Henry Hallam, The Constitutional History of England from the Accession of Henry VII. to the Death of George II. […], volumes (please specify |volume=I or II), London: John Murray, […], →OCLC:

     Pretended conjurations and prophecies of that event.

   • 1951 February, Michael Robbins, “Sir Walter Scott and Two Early Railway Schemes”, in Railway Magazine, page 90, words written by Scott:

     How nicely we could manage without the said railway, now the great hobby of our Teviotdale lairds, if we could by any process of conjuration waft to Abbotsford some of the coal and lime from Lochore...

2. A magic trick.
3. (obsolete) The act of calling or summoning by a sacred name, or in solemn manner, or binding by an oath; an earnest entreaty; adjuration.
   • 1599, William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:

     We charge you, in the name of God, take heed; […] Under this conjuration speak, my lord.

   • c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii], page 259, column 2:

     An earneſt Coniuration from the King, / As England was his faithfull Tributary

4. (obsolete) A league for a criminal purpose; conspiracy.
   • 1531, Thomas Elyot, edited by Ernest Rhys, The Boke Named the Governour […] (Everyman’s Library), London: J[oseph] M[alaby] Dent & Co; New York, N.Y.: E[dward] P[ayson] Dutton & Co, published [1907], →OCLC:

     The conjuration of Catiline.

Translations

conjuring

• Bulgarian: магия (bg) (magija)
• Russian: волшебство́ (ru) (volšebstvó)

magic trick

• Russian: фо́кус (ru) (fókus)

French

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin coniūrātiōnem (“a swearing together, a conspiracy”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɔ̃.ʒy.ʁa.sjɔ̃/

• Audio

  (file)

• Audio (Switzerland)

  (file)

Noun

conjuration f (plural conjurations)

1. conspiracy

   Synonym: conspiration

Further reading

• “conjuration”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.