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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

Genoa is once again a magnet for travelers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026

But he was barred after he became a magnet for anti-war sentiment, with images of long lines of his supporters published around the world.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

Attendees have to put their phones and other smart devices into a pouch, which can only be opened by a magnet after the event is over.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

Garcha also must compete for students with independently operated charter schools and popular district magnet schools.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

To this Ged answered only, “Is the iron sure where the magnet lies?”

From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin

This is the first record of magnet-         ism.

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

The minerals are used to manufacture powerful magnets used in electric vehicles and wind turbines, but also in drones and fighter jets.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

"But we can absolutely put into the supply chain a very meaningful amount of heavy rare earth elements that will produce the magnets that we domestically depend upon," he added.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

In this case, the neutrons and protons in the nucleus essentially flipped their internal magnets.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026

Incomes in San Francisco and San José, magnets for AI startups and major tech companies, rose more than 5% in 2025, putting them in the top 20 in terms of growth.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

Crash bracelets had to have metal inside, because they worked on magnets, the way the boards did.

From "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld