A sorceress is a woman who practices sorcery, which is a type of magic that is believed to come from supernatural powers rather than just tricks or illusions. In myths, legends, and fantasy stories, sorceresses cast spells, brew potions, and command magical forces to achieve their goals.

Some stories describe a sorceress as someone with strong, natural magical ability, or as someone who has mastered secret, mysterious arts through years of study. The Greek sorceress Circe, from Homer's Odyssey, transformed men into animals. Maleficent, from Sleeping Beauty, used her sorcery to curse a princess and surround a castle with thorns.

Sorceresses in stories can be heroes or villains, wise advisors or dangerous enemies. Morgan le Fay from Arthurian legends was a powerful sorceress whose magic could heal or harm. What makes someone a sorceress isn't whether they're good or evil, but that they wield genuine magical power.

The male equivalent is sorcerer. Today, people mostly encounter sorceresses in fantasy novels, movies, and games, where magic shapes entire worlds and a sorceress might be one of the most powerful characters in the story.