alchemy

noun

Definition of alchemynext
1
as in occultism
the power to control natural forces through supernatural means … an alchemy that changed metals rarer than gold into elements more baneful than lead.—James Gleick

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words
2
as in magic
the power to do something impressive in a way that seems mysterious or supernatural They marveled at the digital alchemy that turns lines of computer code into a beautiful user interface.

Related Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of alchemy Fermentation is an ancient alchemy practiced for millennia in vinegar, beer from the Natufian culture, and hunter-gathers fermenting fish in seal fat. — Tanya Akim, Forbes.com, 5 June 2026 Previously, pulling off this kind of quantum alchemy required blinding, high-intensity laboratory lasers. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 23 June 2026 Sliced roast turkey, prosciutto, provolone, mozzarella, sautéed spinach, and roasted peppers perform alchemy on DiGiampietro’s unrivaled baked-on-site sesame roll. — Adam Erace, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 June 2026 Examples include words like alcohol, alkali, alchemy, and in astronomy, star names such as Altair, Alkaid, Alcor and Aldebaran. — Scott Neuman, NPR, 11 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for alchemy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alchemy
  1. occultism
  2. magic
  3. sorcery
  4. witchcraft
  5. wizardry
Noun
  • In one example, some teachers are let into the fictional realm of Agartha, which is a key setting in neo-Nazi occultism where everyone is white and blond.
    — Owen Carry, Wired News, 11 Mar. 2026
  • The transformation of Tarocchi into a divinatory tool began in the late 18th century, driven by the rise of occultism in France.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
Definition of occultism
Noun
  • Signaling what will be a frenetic week, Draymond Green opted out of his contract, ESPN reported Monday morning, sending alarm bells across the league that the Warriors could be cooking up cap magic to potentially lure James to the Bay Area.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
  • Not only is the city booming with routine plans for the 4th, but there's a special sort of magic in the air as this year marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence being signed right here in Philadelphia.
    — Kaitlyn McCormick, USA Today, 30 June 2026
Definition of magic
Noun
  • Come to Eternia, the mythical home of flying dragon-like creatures, and swords, and sorcery, and spaceships — really, all the stuff a 12-year-old science fiction fanatic loves.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 4 June 2026
  • Directed by Travis Knight and based on the Mattel media franchise, the sword-and-sorcery epic stars Nicholas Galitzine alongside Camila Mendes, Jared Leto, and Idris Elba, launching in over 300 locations on Wednesday June 3.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 June 2026
Definition of sorcery
Noun
  • That feeling is only intensified by Xang’s under-his-breath threats and twisted meditations that come across more like free-car witchcraft.
    — Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 26 June 2026
  • Starring Vanessa Redgrave and Oliver Reed, the film tells the story of Urbain Grandier, a 17th-century Catholic priest who was burned at the stake over accusations of witchcraft.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 22 June 2026
Definition of witchcraft
Noun
  • With some mathematical wizardry, the researchers described a periodic surface whose elements capture discrete components of polarized wavefronts.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 18 June 2026
  • Through two-and-a-half seasons, there have been a few thrills and plenty of VFX wizardry, but little innovation in storytelling or relevance.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 15 June 2026
Definition of wizardry

Browse Nearby Words

alchemizing
alchemy
alcohol
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Alchemy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alchemy. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on alchemy

Nglish: Translation of alchemy for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about alchemy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All