Definition

Noun: 1. The act of calling upon or invoking a supernatural force, spirit, or entity: This refers to the ritualistic process of attempting to contact or bring forth a supernatural being through the use of specific words, spells, or incantations.

Usage

The noun "summoning" is typically used in contexts related to magic, the occult, or fantasy. It describes the action itself, not the person performing it or the entity being called.

Examples

• The ancient book contained detailed instructions for the summoning of a guardian spirit.
• During the ceremony, the priest performed a summoning to communicate with the ancestors.
• In many fantasy stories, a magical summoning goes wrong and unleashes a dangerous creature.

Advanced Usage

• "A summoning ritual": This common collocation specifies the ceremonial process.
  • The coven prepared for the midnight summoning ritual.
• Used in a metaphorical sense to describe a powerful or compelling call to action or appearance (though this is less common for the core definition).
  • The general's speech was a summoning of the nation's courage. (Here, it metaphorically suggests invoking a quality.)

Variants and Related Words

• Summon (verb): To authoritatively call someone or something to come. This is the base verb from which "summoning" is derived.
  • The king summoned his knights to the court.
• Summons (noun): An official order to appear in a court of law. This is a distinct, formal term.
  • He received a summons for jury duty.

Synonyms

• Conjuration: The act of summoning a spirit or demon.
• Invocation: The act of calling upon a deity, spirit, etc., for aid, protection, or inspiration.
• Evocation: The act of bringing or recalling a feeling, memory, or image to the conscious mind; also used for summoning spirits.

Related Phrases

• "To perform a summoning": This is the standard phrase for carrying out the act.
  • Only a trained mage should attempt to perform a summoning.
• "Summoning circle": A common element in rituals, often a drawn circle intended to contain the summoned entity.
  • The demon was trapped within the sacred summoning circle.

Noun

1. calling up supposed supernatural forces by spells and incantations