ETYM Old Eng. sorcerie, Old Fren. sorcerie, from Old Fren. and French sorcier a sorcerer, Late Lat. sortiarius, from Latin sors, sortis, a lot, decision by lot, fate, destiny. Related to Sort.
The belief in magical spells that harness occult forces or evil spirits to produce unnatural effects in the world; SYN. black magic, black art.