Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Mental skill; contrivance; invention.
  • noun The art of reasoning; logic.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun obsolete Art or skill of the mind; contrivance; invention; wit.
  • noun rare The art of reasoning; logic.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Art or skill of the mind; mental skill; contrivance; invention; the art of wit.
  • noun The art of reasoning; logic.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From wit +‎ -craft. 1573 by Ralph Lever, The Arte of Reason, rightly termed, Witcraft, teaching a perfect way to argue and dispute

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Examples

Comments

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  • It argues that a rhetorical approach maintains space for agency on the behalf of employees (through the *witcraft* of argument) ... — Gillian Symon, Developing the Political Perspective on Technological Change Through Rhetorical Analysis, Management Communication Quarterly, Vol. 22, No. 1., 2008

    November 27, 2011

  • Although considered obsolete by Johnson, witcraft is still very much a word to know, treasure and, appropriately, use.

    August 22, 2012

  • "Fuck a ouija board , fuck a witcraft bitch , NO THANK YOU !” @TuuMadreeGueyy. Such is the contribution of a tweeter (the 4th tweet on the witcraft page). If this were a comment I would be inclined to categorise it as SPAM. It's a good example of pointless, misogynistic rage.

    August 22, 2012