What does "magic" mean?
The application of rituals or actions, especially those based on occult knowledge, to subdue or manipulate natural or supernatural beings and forces in order to have some benefit from them.
Magic
/ˈmæd͡ʒɪk/ adj, name, noun, verb, slang
adj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The application of rituals or actions, especially those based on occult knowledge, to subdue or manipulate natural or supernatural beings and forces in order to have some benefit from them.
- Grammar: magic is listed as adj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: illusionism, legerdemain, thaumaturgy, abracadabra.
- Useful contrasts: banality, common, drabness.
- Usage evidence: The police are really good at understanding "Someone stole my credit card and ran up a lot of charges." It's a lot harder to get them to buy into "Someone stole my magic sword."
How to use "magic"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "magic" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "magic" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "magic" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "magic" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "magic" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "illusionism" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "magic", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The application of rituals or actions, especially those based on occult knowledge, to subdue or manipulate natural or supernatural beings and forces in order to have some benefit from them. uncountable, usually
"“My magic will help you find true love,” said the witch as she looked for the right herbs in her collection."
- 2 Initialism of magnetism-based interaction capture. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism, uncountable
"Use of MAGIC in genome-wide expression screening can identify multiple protein targets of a drug."
- 3 an illusory feat; considered magical by naive observers wordnet
- 4 The application of rituals or actions, especially those based on occult knowledge, to subdue or manipulate natural or supernatural beings and forces in order to have some benefit from them.; The supernatural forces which are drawn on in such a ritual. uncountable, usually
- 5 any art that invokes supernatural powers wordnet
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 The application of rituals or actions, especially those based on occult knowledge, to subdue or manipulate natural or supernatural beings and forces in order to have some benefit from them.; A specific ritual or procedure associated with such magic; a spell; a magical ability. countable, rare, usually
"And she can turn people into stone and do all kinds of horrible things. And she has made a magic so that it is always winter in Narnia—always winter, but it never gets to Christmas."
- 7 The application of rituals or actions, especially those based on occult knowledge, to subdue or manipulate natural or supernatural beings and forces in order to have some benefit from them.; The ability to cast a magic spell. countable, usually
"I learned a new magic after rescuing the tree fairy."
- 8 Something producing successful and remarkable results, especially when not fully understood; an enchanting quality; exceptional skill. uncountable, usually
"The original family who had begun to build a palace to outrival Nonesuch had died out before they had put up little more than the gateway, so that the actual structure which had come down to posterity retained the secret magic of a promise rather than the overpowering splendour of a great architectural achievement."
- 9 Something producing successful and remarkable results, especially when not fully understood; an enchanting quality; exceptional skill.; Complicated or esoteric code that is not expected to be generally understood. slang, uncountable, usually
"The stringstream class hides a lot of string parsing magic from us at this point."
- 10 The art or practice of performing conjuring tricks and illusions to give the appearance of supernatural phenomena or powers. uncountable, usually
- 11 The art or practice of performing conjuring tricks and illusions to give the appearance of supernatural phenomena or powers.; One such conjuring trick or illusion. countable, usually
Verb
- 1 To produce, transform (something), (as if) by magic. transitive
"He pictured them standing about the dim hallway, magicked into immobility, glazed and mute, one with a hand raised, another bending to set down a bag, and Licht before them, nodding and twitching like a marionette, as usual."
Adjective
- 1 Having supernatural talents, properties or qualities attributed to magic. not-comparable
"a magic wand"
- 2 Producing extraordinary results, as though through the use of magic. not-comparable
"a magic moment"
- 3 Pertaining to conjuring tricks or illusions performed for entertainment etc. not-comparable
"a magic show"
- 4 Great; excellent. colloquial, not-comparable
"I cleaned up the flat while you were out. —Really? Magic!"
- 5 Describing the number of nucleons in a particularly stable isotopic nucleus; 2, 8, 20, 28, 50, 82, 126, and 184. not-comparable
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Being a literal number or string value with no meaning or context, not defined as a constant or variable not-comparable
"The code is full of magic numbers and we can't figure out what they mean."
Adjective
- 1 possessing or using or characteristic of or appropriate to supernatural powers wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 An Allied cryptanalysis project, during and prior to World War II, that decrypted Japanese messages.
Example
"The police are really good at understanding "Someone stole my credit card and ran up a lot of charges." It's a lot harder to get them to buy into "Someone stole my magic sword.""
Common questions
What is a synonym for "magic"?
Common synonyms include: illusionism, legerdemain, thaumaturgy, abracadabra, admirable, airiness.
How do you use "magic" in a sentence?
The police are really good at understanding "Someone stole my credit card and ran up a lot of charges." It's a lot harder to get them to buy into "Someone stole my magic sword."
How do you pronounce "magic"?
Pronounced /ˈmæd͡ʒɪk/.
Etymology
From Middle English magik, magyk, from Old French magique (noun and adjective), from Latin magicus (adjective), magica (noun use of feminine form of magicus), from Ancient Greek μαγικός (magikós, “magical”), from μάγος (mágos, “magus”). Ultimately from Old Iranian, probably derived from Proto-Indo-European *meh₂gʰ- (“to be able to, to help; power, sorcerer”). Displaced native Old English ġealdor (survived in Middle English galder), and dwimmer.