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conjurer

to ward off, to avert

verb kohn-zhoo-REH Rare
Mind & Emotions Attitudes

Origin: from Latin conjurare, 'to swear together'

Also means

to beseech, to conjure

Usage Note

conjurer has two distinct registers: in formal or literary use it means to ward off a danger (conjurer le mauvais sort — 'to ward off bad luck'), and in an older register it means to beseech earnestly. The noun la conjuration refers to a conspiracy or plot. Do not confuse with évoquer when meaning to conjure up an image.

Examples

"Il faut conjurer ce danger avant qu'il arrive."

Natural Translation

We must avert this danger before it arrives.

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