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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

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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

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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

"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

The company aims to produce 10,000 metric tons of high-purity iron and steel annually at the facility, mostly to supply U.S. magnet makers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

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

From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026

“I’ve been through dozens of these,” she said, holding the magnet up for them to admire.

From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart

This is the first record of magnet-         ism.

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

"These first materials that we have studied are like a baby step, or a prototype problem, along the way to more complex phenomena such as high-temperature superconductors and quantum magnets."

From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 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

“It looks like a parking lot full of giant Christmas presents,” said Eileen Vasko, a server at the Silver City Mountain Resort, which sells marmot caps and magnets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

The powerful magnets jolted the fourteen-ton vacuum tanks out of place, which threatened in turn to pull apart the superstructure of pipes, pumps, and cables.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

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