magician
Americannoun
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magicians
plural
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an entertainer who is skilled in producing illusion by sleight of hand, deceptive devices, etc.; conjurer.
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a person who is skilled in magic; sorcerer.
- Synonyms:
- wizard, enchanter, necromancer
noun
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another term for conjuror
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a person who practises magic
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a person who has extraordinary skill, influence, or qualities
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of magician
1350–1400; magic + -ian; replacing Middle English magicien < Middle French
Explanation
A magician does magic tricks. You might hire a magician to pull rabbits out of hats and do card tricks at your next birthday party. A performer whose specialty is sleight-of-hand and other illusions is one kind of magician. Another magician is the kind who makes real magic, casting spells and summoning spirits. More people believe in the first kind of magician — who is simply pretending to do magic — than the second. The word stems from the Old French magiciien, "magician or sorcerer," which is rooted in the Greek word for "magical," magikos.
Vocabulary lists containing magician
2015 National Spelling Bee Words
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Magical Vocabulary
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -an
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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:
In elementary school, I’d been invited up on stage by a magician to be part of a trick.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
Heinz von Foerster was, at one point in his life, a stage magician.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026
Named as Bottega Veneta's creative director in 2021, he helped reinvent the Italian leather goods brand, earning him the nickname the "magician of Milan".
From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026
The 55-year-old magician spent decades performing a trick once dismissed as legend, and still keeps photographs and newspaper clippings from his years of international fame.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
The magician closes the door behind him, dropping the stack of letters on the desk next to the teacup as he looks at the girl.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
As audiences turned to new forms of entertainment and public performance opportunities dwindled, many magicians found it harder to make a living from skills passed down through generations.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
Without a library, I would not have purchased every cookbook, obscure DVD and book about secretive magicians that caught my eye.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026
It serves as a clubhouse for the Academy of Magic Arts, a private organization for magicians and magic enthusiasts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026
This time out, the original Four Horsemen -- who first appeared on screen in 2013 -- are joined by three younger magicians: Ariana Greenblatt, Dominic Sessa and Justice Smith.
From Barron's ● Nov. 16, 2025
“You’re too little,” the other magicians told Xan when she tried.
From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
