Witch

/wɪtʃ/ noun

Definition

a person believed to practice magic or sorcery

Etymology

Old English wicce (feminine) and wicca (masculine)

Kelly Says

A WITCH has a magic TWITCH in their finger when casting spells!

Translations

AMአማርኛ
ጥበበኛ
ARالعربية
ساحرة
BNবাংলা
ডাইনি
CACatalà
bruixa
CSČeština
čarodějka
DADansk
heks
DEDeutsch
Hexe
ELΕλληνικά
μάγισσα
ESEspañol
bruja
FAفارسی
جادوگر
FISuomi
noita
FRFrançais
sorcière
GUGU
ડાણ
HAHA
mahauki
HEעברית
מכשפה
HIहिन्दी
जादूगरनी
HUMagyar
boszorkány
IDBahasa Indonesia
penyihir
IGIG
onye ajo
ITItaliano
strega
JA日本語
魔女
KKKK
сәндіктер
KMKM
មនុស្សលេង
KO한국어
마녀
MRMR
जाद्वज्ञा
MSBahasa Melayu
penyihir
MYမြန်မာ
မြန်မ
NLNederlands
heks
NONorsk
heks
PAPA
ਜਾਦੂਗਰਨੀ
PLPolski
czarownica
PTPortuguês
bruxa
RORomână
vrăjitoare
RUРусский
ведьма
SVSvenska
häxa
SWKiswahili
mchawi
TAதமிழ்
சூனியம்
TEతెలుగు
జాడూగర
THไทย
แม่มด
TLTL
mangkukulam
TRTürkçe
cadı
UKУкраїнська
відьма
URاردو
ڈائن
VITiếng Việt
phù thủy
YOYO
aje
ZH中文
女巫
ZUZU
umthakathi

Ethical Language Guidance

Gender History

Witch trials disproportionately targeted women as scapegoats for misogyny and social instability; the term became weaponized to pathologize female autonomy, knowledge, and dissent.

Inclusive Usage

Use neutrally for the practice; acknowledge historical persecution when discussing trials. Reclaimed by women practitioners.

Inclusive Alternatives

["practitioner","wise woman","herbalist","healer"]

Empowerment Note

Modern witches—predominantly women—have reclaimed the term as spiritual power and resistance to patriarchal control.

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