magicians

Masters of illusion

Magicians are people who perform magic.

The word covers both entertainers who create illusions—card tricks, disappearing acts, sawing assistants in half—and figures in fantasy and folklore who wield supernatural powers: Merlin was the most famous magician in Arthurian legend.

Someone exceptionally skilled at something may be called a magician: She's a magician with numbers.

performance

illusionist

Performer of visual deception

mentalist · Houdini · Copperfield · Penn and Teller · trickster · showman · assistant · levitation · sawing in half · disappearing act

sorcery

wizard

Practitioner of sorcery

necromancer · witch · shaman · druid · alchemist · spellcaster · thaumaturge · occultist · conjurer · sorceress

skill

sleight of hand

Skillful manual deception

palming · dexterity · coin tricks · cup and balls · nimbleness · finesse · flourish · gimmick · secret pocket · trap

divination

fortune teller

One who predicts futures

  • seerOne who envisions futures
  • oracleAuthoritative wisdom source
  • prophetDivinely inspired messenger

soothsayer · clairvoyant · psychic · medium · diviner · tarot reader · palmist · crystal gazer · augur · sibyl

props

wand

Thin ceremonial stick

  • top hatTall formal headwear
  • capeShouldered sleeveless wrap
  • cardsStiff paper rectangles

coins · rings · cups · balls · silk scarves · doves · rabbit · box · cabinet · mirror

Categories
Opposites
skill/expertise

magiciansamateurs

Nonprofessional participants

novices · beginners · bunglers · incompetents · hacks

deception vs. transparency

magiciansexposers

Those who reveal secrets

revealers · truth-tellers · whistleblowers · debunkers · spoilers

supernatural belief

magiciansskeptics

Those who doubt claims

rationalists · debunkers · scientists · materialists · realists

Phrases
Family

magician, magician's

Familiarity
Top 50,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Positive · Everyday, not technical · Rated G