Phrase guide

black art

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A practice such as witchcraft, sorcery, necromancy, or black magic.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: in-plural, often

Examples

  • dabbling in the black arts
  • In 1690s Salem, anyone was at mortal risk of being accused of practicing the black arts.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: black magic, dark art, diablerie, bewitchery, black arts, charmwork, conjuration, conjuring, craft, dark arts, druidcraft, dweomercraft, dwimmer, dwimmercraft, enchantment, goety, gypsycraft, hexcraft, hexerei, jugglery, magic, mojo, sorcery, sortilege, spellcasting, spellcraft, spellwork, thaumaturgy, wandwork, warlockry, whistness, witchdom, witchery, witchcraft, witchwork, wizardry, wizardcraft, wonderworking

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A process that is esoteric or difficult to master.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, figuratively

Examples

  • Operating a hand card punch was something of a black art.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dark art

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

the belief in magical spells that harness occult forces or evil spirits to produce unnatural effects in the world

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sorcery, black magic, necromancy

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: magic, thaumaturgy

Narrower terms: witchcraft, witchery, enchantment, bewitchment, diabolism, demonism, Satanism, obiism

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

10 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 妖术 (yāoshù) — witchcraft, sorcery, black magic, etc.
  • Chinese Mandarin: 魔法 (mófǎ) — witchcraft, sorcery, black magic, etc.
  • Greek: μαύρη μαγεία (mávri mageía) — witchcraft, sorcery, black magic, etc.
  • Latin: veneficium — witchcraft, sorcery, black magic, etc.
  • Latin: maleficium — witchcraft, sorcery, black magic, etc.
  • Norwegian Bokmål: svartekunst — witchcraft, sorcery, black magic, etc.
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: svartekunst — witchcraft, sorcery, black magic, etc.
  • Polish: czarna magia — witchcraft, sorcery, black magic, etc.
  • Russian: чёрная ма́гия (čórnaja mágija) — witchcraft, sorcery, black magic, etc.
  • Swedish: svartkonst — witchcraft, sorcery, black magic, etc.