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Dictionary / magic

magic

/ˈmad͡ʒɪk/ (UK)/ˈmæd͡ʒɪk/ (US)syllables: mag·ic
  • noun
  • adjective
  • verb
  • from Old French

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.

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1 All current definitions

Every sense of “magic” in current use, as recorded by Wiktionary. Older and obsolete senses are kept separately.

noun

  1. uncountableusuallyThe 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.

    “My magic will help you find true love,” said the witch as she looked for the right herbs in her collection.

  2. 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.uncountableusuallyThe supernatural forces which are drawn on in such a ritual.
  3. 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.countablerareusuallyA specific ritual or procedure associated with such magic; a spell; a magical ability.

    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.1950, C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe:

  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.countableusuallyThe ability to cast a magic spell.

    I learned a new magic after rescuing the tree fairy.

  5. uncountableusuallySomething producing successful and remarkable results, especially when not fully understood; an enchanting quality; exceptional skill.

    I look at him and there is a magic. What is it? Love?1965 February 10, Lou Sullivan, Diary:

  6. Something producing successful and remarkable results, especially when not fully understood; an enchanting quality; exceptional skill.slanguncountableusuallyComplicated or esoteric code that is not expected to be generally understood.

    The stringstream class hides a lot of string parsing magic from us at this point.2017, Jacek Galowicz, C++17 STL Cookbook, page 257:

  7. uncountableusuallyThe art or practice of performing conjuring tricks and illusions to give the appearance of supernatural phenomena or powers.
  8. The art or practice of performing conjuring tricks and illusions to give the appearance of supernatural phenomena or powers.countableusuallyOne such conjuring trick or illusion.
Wiktionary: “magic” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

adjective

  1. not comparableHaving supernatural talents, properties or qualities attributed to magic.

    a magic wand

  2. not comparableProducing extraordinary results, as though through the use of magic.

    a magic moment

  3. not comparablePertaining to conjuring tricks or illusions performed for entertainment etc.

    a magic show

  4. colloquialnot comparableGreat; excellent.

    I cleaned up the flat while you were out. —Really? Magic!

  5. not comparableDescribing the number of nucleons in a particularly stable isotopic nucleus; 2, 8, 20, 28, 50, 82, 126, and 184.
  6. not comparableBeing a literal number or string value with no meaning or context, not defined as a constant or variable

    The code is full of magic numbers and we can't figure out what they mean.

Wiktionary: “magic” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

verb

  1. transitiveTo produce, transform (something), (as if) by magic.

    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.1993, John Banville, Ghosts:

Wiktionary: “magic” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
Cross-check: WordNet senses (3)
  1. nounany art that invokes supernatural powers — also: thaumaturgy
  2. nounan illusory feat; considered magical by naive observers — also: magic trick, conjuring trick, trick, legerdemain, conjuration
  3. adjectivepossessing or using or characteristic of or appropriate to supernatural powers; ; ; ; - Shakespeare — also: charming, magical, sorcerous, witching, wizard
Princeton WordNet 3.0 — WordNet License

Synonyms: bewitchery, black arts, charmwork, conjuration, conjuring, craft, dark arts, diablerie, druidcraft, dweomercraft, dwimmer, dwimmercraft

Wiktionary: “magic” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

2 History of the word

The etymology, the path the word travelled, and the words built from it.

The word’s journey, newest to oldest:

  1. English (today)magic
  2. Middle Englishmagik
  3. Old Frenchmagique (noun and adjective)
  4. Latinmagicus (adjective)
  5. Ancient Greekμαγικός (magikós) “magical”
  6. Ancient Greekμάγος (mágos) “magician, magus”

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, “magician, magus”). Ultimately from Old Iranian, probably derived from Proto-Indo-European *meh₂gʰ- (“to be able to, to help; power, sorcerer”). By surface analysis, mage + -ic. Piecewise doublet of magey. Displaced Old English ġealdor (whence Middle English galder) and dwimmer.

Wiktionary: “magic” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Derivatives — words built from “magic”

antimagicautomagicbemagickedcacomagiccounter-magiccybermagicmagicalmagicdommagicfulmagicitymagickermagickymagiclessmagiclikemagic-likemagicologymagicubemetamagicmysto-magicnonmagicoutmagicpanmagicsubmagictechnomagicunmagicbimagicmagicallymultimagictetramagictrimagic

Phrases & compounds

as if by magicbizarre magicblack magicchaos magicChinese magic mirrorcontagious magicdark magicelemental magicElemental Magicfolk magicgray magicgrey magichigh magichomeopathic magicimage magicimitative magicletter magiclike magiclow magicMagic 8 Ball

Related terms

magicianclairvoyanceextrasensory perceptionsecond sightprestidigitation
Wiktionary: “magic” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Want to go deeper? See also “magic” on Etymonline ↗

3 Original language

Where “magic” came from before it was English.

Came into English from
Old French
Old French magique (noun and adjective)
Oldest written form
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek μάγος (mágos) “magician, magus”
Wiktionary: “magic” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

4 Original meaning

What the word meant at the oldest point the record reaches.

Ancient Greek
“magician, magus”
Ancient Greek μάγος (mágos)
Wiktionary: “magic” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Historical meaning — Webster’s 1913

A historical record, labelled as such: some of these senses are dated or have since shifted.

magic n. [OE. magique, L. magice, Gr. Magic, a., and Magi.]

  1. A comprehensive name for all of the pretended arts which claim to produce effects by the assistance of supernatural beings, or departed spirits, or by a mastery of secret forces in nature attained by a study of occult science, including enchantment, conjuration, witchcraft, sorcery, necromancy, incantation, etc.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), public domain, via GCIDE

5 Use it with confidence

Model sentences from the sources, matched to the meaning they show. Read each one aloud, then make your own in the game.

nounMeaning: 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.

“My magic will help you find true love,” said the witch as she looked for the right herbs in her collection.

And whan he shall be arrayed as I telle you / lete hym thenne doo his incantacyons & his magyke as he wyll […].c. 1489, Foure Sonnes of Aymon, William Caxton:

nounMeaning: A specific ritual or procedure associated with such magic; a spell; a magical ability.

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.1950, C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe:

"I am the master of mighty magics."2017, Neil Gaiman, Norse Mythology, Bloomsbury Publishing, page 116:

nounMeaning: The ability to cast a magic spell.

I learned a new magic after rescuing the tree fairy.

nounMeaning: Something producing successful and remarkable results, especially when not fully understood; an enchanting quality; exceptional skill.

I look at him and there is a magic. What is it? Love?1965 February 10, Lou Sullivan, Diary:

We began to take Santa Claus to the kids at the isolated sidings for the same reason men all over Australia on the lines back o' beyond did [...] we didn't want them to miss that magic.1969, Patsy Adam-Smith, Folklore of the Australian Railwaymen, Melbourne: Macmillan, page 151:

nounMeaning: Complicated or esoteric code that is not expected to be generally understood.

The stringstream class hides a lot of string parsing magic from us at this point.2017, Jacek Galowicz, C++17 STL Cookbook, page 257:

adjectiveMeaning: Having supernatural talents, properties or qualities attributed to magic.

a magic wand

a magic dragon

adjectiveMeaning: possessing or using or characteristic of or appropriate to supernatural powers; ; ; ; - Shakespeare

magic signs that protect against adverse influence

a magical spell

Princeton WordNet 3.0 — WordNet License
Wiktionary: “magic” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Three steps to owning it

  1. Pick one meaning above and read its model sentence out loud.
  2. Say who or what the word is about in your own life, then build a sentence around that.
  3. Check it against the definition: would a careful reader understand exactly that meaning?

6 The mastery game

Play it here, or print it and do it with pen and paper. At the end you will know the meanings, history, origin and original meaning — and you will have used the word yourself.

Step 1 of 10

Say it, then spell it

magic

/ˈmad͡ʒɪk/ · mag·ic

Say the word out loud three times, slowly. Notice the stressed syllable. When you are ready, hide it and spell it from memory.

Activate Words · Word-mastery worksheet · Name: ______________________ Date: __________

magic

/ˈmad͡ʒɪk/ · mag·ic · noun, adjective, verb

Step 1 — Say it and write it

Say “magic” out loud three times. Then cover the word and write it three times from memory.

Step 2 — Know every meaning

Read each definition. Then write it again in your own words.

1. (noun) 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.
2. (noun) The supernatural forces which are drawn on in such a ritual.
3. (noun) A specific ritual or procedure associated with such magic; a spell; a magical ability.
4. (noun) The ability to cast a magic spell.
5. (noun) Something producing successful and remarkable results, especially when not fully understood; an enchanting quality; exceptional skill.

Step 3 — Which meaning is it?

““My magic will help you find true love,” said the witch as she looked for the right herbs in her collection.”

A. The art or practice of performing conjuring tricks and illusions to give the appearance of supernatural phenomena or powers.
B. 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.
C. Complicated or esoteric code that is not expected to be generally understood.

Circle the meaning used.

“I learned a new magic after rescuing the tree fairy.”

A. The ability to cast a magic spell.
B. The art or practice of performing conjuring tricks and illusions to give the appearance of supernatural phenomena or powers.
C. A specific ritual or procedure associated with such magic; a spell; a magical ability.

Circle the meaning used.

“a magic wand”

A. Having supernatural talents, properties or qualities attributed to magic.
B. The ability to cast a magic spell.
C. Something producing successful and remarkable results, especially when not fully understood; an enchanting quality; exceptional skill.

Circle the meaning used.

Step 4 — History and origin

Which language did “magic” come into English from?   A. Latin  B. Old French  C. Middle French  D. Anglo-Norman

Write the word’s journey back in time (each language and form):

Write three words built from “magic” and what each means:

Step 5 — Original meaning

The earliest traceable form is Ancient Greek μάγος. What did it mean?

How does that original meaning connect to the meanings today?

Step 6 — Use it yourself

Write a sentence using “magic” to 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.
Write a sentence using “magic” to mean: The supernatural forces which are drawn on in such a ritual.
Write a sentence using “magic” to mean: A specific ritual or procedure associated with such magic; a spell; a magical ability.

☐ I can explain its meanings   ☐ I know its history   ☐ I know its original language   ☐ I know its original meaning   ☐ I can use it confidently

Answer key — magic

Which meaning, sentence 1: B. 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.

Which meaning, sentence 2: A. The ability to cast a magic spell.

Which meaning, sentence 3: A. Having supernatural talents, properties or qualities attributed to magic.

Origin: B. Old French (Old French magique)

Journey: English magic ← Middle English magik ← Old French magique ← Latin magicus ← Ancient Greek μαγικός ← Ancient Greek μάγος

Some derivatives: antimagic, automagic, bemagicked, cacomagic, counter-magic, cybermagic, magical, magicdom

Original meaning: Ancient Greek μάγος — “magician, magus”

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, “magician, magus”). Ultimately from Old Iranian, probably derived from Proto-Indo-European *meh₂gʰ- (“to be able to, to help; power, sorcerer”). By surface analysis, mage + -ic. Piecewise doublet of magey. Displaced Old English ġealdor (whence Middle English galder) and dwimmer.

Sources: Wiktionary “magic” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/magic#English), CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org; Princeton WordNet 3.0; Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913, public domain) via GCIDE. Worksheet from https://activatewords.com/w/magic