enchantment

American  

[en-chant-muhnt, -chahnt-] / ɛnˈtʃænt mənt, -ˈtʃɑnt- /

noun

• enchantments
  plural

1. the art, act, or an instance of enchanting.

   Synonyms:

   witchery, fascination, sorcery, magic

2. the state of being enchanted.

3. something that enchants.

   Music is an enchantment that never fails.

   Synonyms:

   charm, spell

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enchantment British  

/ ɪnˈtʃɑːntmənt /

noun

1. the act of enchanting or state of being enchanted

2. a magic spell or act of witchcraft

3. great charm or fascination

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• enchantments
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of enchantment

1250–1300; Middle English enchantement < Anglo-French, Old French < Latin incantāmentum. See enchant, -ment

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Explanation

Exams over? School out for the summer? You may be feeling a sense of enchantment, that is, a sense of delight and escape from everyday reality. The psychological state of enchantment is so strong it can feel like you are under a spell or a trance, and these words are often interchangeable with enchantment. A work of art that is particularly captivating and enjoyable can also be termed an enchantment. The Winnie the Pooh books are often called "enchantments," and their sense of child-like innocence and simplicity is typical of the sensation of enchantment.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

enchantment enchantments

This enchantment was captured by a 24-year-old Virginia Woolf, who visited an English fen and its surroundings in 1906, and described the area as a “strange, gray-green, undulating, dreaming, philosophizing and remembering land.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

Gleiberman added that the film "truly delivers 'Moana' - the beauty, the comic personality, the fairy-tale enchantment", and described Johnson's "fit" for the film as "perfect".

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

“She hated the idea of that Hollywood enchantment crossing over into political discourse,” explains Wilkinson.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 10, 2025

Even so, “Yuletide Factory” offers moments of pure enchantment.

From New York Times ● Nov. 27, 2024

The ships were held at Griffin’s Wharf as though under an enchantment.

From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes

Fresh from a mid-lifecycle spa treatment, the midengine, two-seat Emira continues to offer a choice of powertrains, each with their enchantments.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

Directed by Paul King, “Wonka” turns back the clock to when Willy was a striver with near-empty pockets and a suitcase filled with enchantments.

From New York Times ● Dec. 14, 2023

In a verdant island landscape where the veil between mysticism, art and nature is permeable, communing with mailboxes and postal enchantments raises no alarms.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 14, 2023

As direct as he can be when making a point he doesn’t want readers to miss, Gay prefers digressions that are, in and of themselves, dialectical enchantments.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 24, 2022

“Well, I don’s pose it could hurt ter tell yeh that... let’s see ... he borrowed Fluffy from me... then some o’ the teachers did enchantments ...

From "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling

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Related Words

• fascination

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