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• magnet
  magnet

  noun

  a body, as a piece of iron or steel, that possesses the property of attracting certain substances, as iron.
• magnet-
  magnet-

  variant of magneto- before some vowels.

magnet

¹ American  

[mag-nit] / ˈmæg nɪt /

noun

• magnets
  plural

1. 

   a body, as a piece of iron or steel, that possesses the property of attracting certain substances, as iron.

2. a lodestone.

3. a thing or person that attracts.

   The park was a magnet for pickpockets and muggers.

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magnet- ² American  

1. variant of magneto- before some vowels.

   magneton.

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magnet British  

/ ˈmæɡnɪt /

noun

1. a body that can attract certain substances, such as iron or steel, as a result of a magnetic field; a piece of ferromagnetic substance See also electromagnet

2. a person or thing that exerts a great attraction

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magnet Scientific  

/ măg′nĭt /

1. A material or object that produces a magnetic field. Lodestones are natural magnets, though many materials, especially metals, can be made into magnets by exposing them to a magnetic field.

2. See also electromagnet ferromagnetism magnetic pole See Note at magnetism

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magnet Cultural  

1. An object that attracts iron and some other materials. Magnets are said to generate a magnetic field around themselves. Every magnet has two poles, called the north and south poles. Magnetic poles exert forces on each other in such a way that like poles repel and unlike poles attract each other. A compass is a small magnet that is affected by the magnetic field of the Earth in such a way that it points to a magnetic pole of the Earth. (See magnetic field and magnetism.)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• countermagnet
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• magnets
  plural

Etymology

Origin of magnet

1400–50; late Middle English magnete < Latin magnēta < Greek mágnēta, accusative of mágnēs, short for ( hē ) Mágnēs ( líthos ) (the stone) of Magnesia

Explanation

A magnet is a piece of metal with a strong attraction to another metal object. The attraction a magnet produces is called a "magnetic field." You might cover the front of your refrigerator with magnets, which stick to its metal surface. Other kinds of magnets are even more powerful, strong enough to pick up entire cars, for example. Most magnets are made of iron or an iron alloy, and magnets are at the heart of many common items like cassette tapes, credit cards, toys, and compasses.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

magnet magnet- magnets

On one side are some parents, police union leaders and students who participate in the district’s police academy magnet programs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

In Chengdu, a second-tier city in China’s southwest that was once a magnet for young professionals, secondary-market property prices have fallen at least 15% since their peak in 2023, Srinivasan said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

"You've taken us for fools long enough," read a banner beneath a display depicting BFV officials using a magnet to pull a compass needle towards them.

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

In that simple contest, the electromagnetic force produced by the magnet easily overcomes gravity.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026

Her elementary school is a magnet school, so even though we moved across town, she can still keep going there.

From "A Soft Place to Land" by Janae Marks

This is the first record of magnet-         ism.

From Science and Health, with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy

It is the only non-Chinese commercial producer of so-called heavy rare earths, such as dysprosium and terbium, which are added to magnets to help them run more efficiently at higher temperatures.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

Four points down at the break, Dave Rennie's side had hopes of taking home half of a specially-designed series trophy, which, held together by magnets, can be shared between the two sides.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

Even powerful lab magnets can only cover a relatively small region.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 6, 2026

That requires frequent adjustments to systems such as the tokamak's heating equipment, magnets and gas injectors.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 6, 2026

She is different from my biological mom, with whom I have those powerful memories that always acted like magnets connecting me to her no matter how much time passed or what circumstances intervened.

From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter