conjurare

Conjurare is a Latin verb of the first conjugation meaning to conjure, to invoke or summon, often in a magical or ritual sense; it can also mean to swear together or to conspire. The word is formed from con- (“together”) and iurāre (“to swear”), reflecting both the sense of binding people by an oath and the sense of calling or invoking someone or something.

In classical Latin, conjurare appears in contexts related to oath-taking, conspiracies, or collective vows. The related noun coniuratio denotes a conspiracy or the act of swearing together. In post-classical and medieval Latin, the sense of summoning or invoking spirits becomes more prominent, a usage that carried into Renaissance and later discussions of magical practice and conjuration.

English and other modern languages inherit the verb chiefly through the sense of invoking or summoning, as in the phrase to conjure up a spirit. The English noun conjuration, and related terms such as conjurer or conjuror, trace back to the same Latin root via Old French and other intermediaries.

Usage notes: conjurare is primarily encountered in historical, linguistic, or literary discussions of Latin. In everyday modern Latin, the verb is less common outside scholarly or antiquarian contexts. The form has a full set of typical Latin conjugations, with infinitive conjurāre, present forms such as conjūrō (I conjure) and conjūrant (they conjure), and perfect forms like conjurāvī.