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.
“The fact that I look totally artificial and the fact that I am totally real inside has made a nice little magical combination,” she told Atlanta TV journalist Monica Kaufman in 1987.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Its track record in contemporary pop is fairly magical: Amy Winehouse, Leona Lewis and Adele went there.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Season two will adapt the second book in the series by JK Rowling, The Chamber of Secrets, which chronicle's Potter's second year at the magical school.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
"Years later, we won back the walls from the gangs," said the muralist who considers art a "magical tool" for "social transformation."
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
With the magical map and his new friends, he was the closest he’d ever been to Pili since she’d disappeared.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
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.
