Meaning

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

noun conjuring up the dead, especially for prophesying

originCirca 1300, from Middle English nigromancye, from Old French nigromancie, from Medieval Latin nigromantia, from Latin necromantia, from Ancient Greek νεκρομαντεία (nekromanteía), νεκρός (nekrós, “dead”) + μαντεία (manteía, “divination”). Medieval Latin spelling, incorporating niger (“black”), influenced by the notion of black art. Modern spelling adopted in mid-1500s. By surface analysis, necro-…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0