wizard
Americannoun
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wizards
plural
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a person who practices magic; magician or sorcerer.
- Synonyms:
- diviner, thaumaturge, necromancer, enchanter
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a conjurer or juggler.
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Also whiz, wiz a person of amazing skill or accomplishment.
a wizard at chemistry.
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Computers. a software feature that guides users through complex procedures with step-by-step instructions, often presented in dialog boxes.
noun
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a male witch or a man who practises or professes to practise magic or sorcery
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a person who is outstandingly clever in some specified field; expert
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obsolete a wise man
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computing a computer program that guides a user through a complex task
adjective
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informal superb; outstanding
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of or relating to a wizard or wizardry
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of wizard
First recorded in 1400–50, late Middle English wisard; see wise 1, -ard
Explanation
A wizard is a kind of magician. A wise man who can perform magic spells in a fairy tale or fantasy novel is often described as a wizard. One of the most famous fictional wizards is Harry Potter, who first learns of his magical abilities when Hagrid says, "Harry — yer a wizard." Sometimes wizards are described as male versions of witches, while other stories use the term as a gender-neutral name for anyone with magical powers. Colloquially, you might call someone a wizard if they're truly amazing at what they do (even if it's not magic): "She's a wizard at dog training!"
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
When I recently wrote about the cultural phenomenon of Costco fandom, I fancied myself a wizened warehouse wizard.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
I walked up to the wizard and asked him, “What do they call you?”
From Salon ● Jul. 31, 2026
Then again, the Argentine wizard now playing at his sixth World Cup has never had much trouble losing his defender.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
Every version of Merlin the wizard, spanning an expansive gender spectrum.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2026
The wizard flies across the room, smacks the wall, and crumples in an unconscious heap.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
When a DDoS attack happened, the Big Pipes wizards usually knew how the attack was being carried out and the software behind it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026
No, that doesn’t mean the wizards in robes are doing magic.
From Slate ● Feb. 28, 2026
The four men left for Russia through a Kenyan recruitment agency, Global Face Human Resources, which boasts on its website: "Let our HR wizards connect you to exciting opportunities".
From Barron's ● Feb. 9, 2026
No stranger to the world of wizards, he previously appeared in the 2004 film Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
From BBC ● Jan. 24, 2026
“I’ve worked for Gringotts ever since I left Hogwarts. As far as there can be friendship between wizards and goblins, I have goblin friends—or, at least, goblins I know well, and like.”
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
