Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of magical
Explanation
Something magical seems to work by way of some mysterious, unseen force. If you had magical powers, you could make annoying people disappear or instantly fill your room with adorable kittens. Wizards and witches are know for their magical and sometimes evil powers. However, a gorgeous sunset or a perfect day at Disney World can also feel magical. Magical comes from the Greek magikos, (also "magical"), from magos, "member of the learned and priestly class," probably stemming from the Proto-Indo-European magh-, "to have power."
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.
"They want to be here forever. This is a moment that's probably not going to come back for some of these players. It's magical but also upsetting."
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
Slender but flecked with magical touches, “Romería” is so gentle it never quite qualifies as haunting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
And there is nothing magical about a seven-trading-day look-back window when calculating the divergence between the Dow and the Nasdaq composite.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026
Early in the film, the protagonist, Bear, uses a magical wish that Nikki would love him more than anyone else in the world.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
Ella felt like she'd stumbled upon the most amazing, magical food trucks.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
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.
