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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

South Africa, the continent's wealthiest nation, has long been a magnet for migrants from elsewhere on the continent.

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

As part of the Sustainable materials and material flows research area, Martin Sahlberg is studying whether Sweden's deposits could become the foundation for a more sustainable magnet industry.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026

Like much of the American West, Montana has become a magnet for city slickers chasing a better life or a vacation home.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

The continent's most developed economy remains a magnet for people from poorer countries seeking work often in low-paid jobs.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

Moreover, the importance of the compass in navigation meant that the magnet was bound to be a subject of discussion.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

This is the first record of magnet-         ism.

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

Rather than forcing Swedish minerals to fit existing manufacturing formulas, the researchers want to design magnets whose chemical composition closely matches the materials naturally present in local deposits.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026

Vulcan converts those oxides into metals and finished magnets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

But she wonders how successful such programs are, and argues that they become magnets for lawlessness.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

Strong magnets placed near the moving isopods had no effect, even though the Golan Heights is known for unusual magnetic properties.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 6, 2026

The next day at Bible school, we made bottle-cap magnets with the Ten Commandments on them.

From "Wish" by Barbara O'Connor