Learn English – One word for witches and wizards

single-word-requests

Is there a single word for witches and wizards both, regardless of gender?

Edit 1: Is there a single word for the category of people who do magic (like witches, wizards, warlocks, sorcerers, etc.)?

Edit 2: The usage example comes from a story I made up for my niece. She wanted to know why I was designating male cats who do magic as witches alongside the female cats. Shouldn't they be called wizards, she asked. I then wondered whether there's one word that encompasses everyone who does magic.

Best Answer

I would suggest using either Mage or Magus (plural: Mages and Magi respectively). Both of them convey a gender-neutral magic-user, without giving off a sense of being a mere illusionist.

However, the term "mage" has fallen out of use, with wizard and witch being the standard terms for any magic user. The term "mage" is gender neutral.

I'd consider Mage the more neutral option of the two, as Magus has a slight hint of masculinity from Latin.

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