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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

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

• countermagnet
  noun

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

Mr. Magnet is author of “The Dream and the Nightmare: The Sixties’ Legacy to the Underclass” and “Clarence Thomas and the Lost Constitution.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

Magnet schools are special programs established decades ago to promote voluntary integration.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 20, 2026

Michael Levey, co-founder of Magnet records, remembers him as "more of a thoughtful, introspective poet than a natural pop performer".

From BBC • Dec. 22, 2025

Chinese companies marketing magnets free of the regulated heavy rare earths include Yonjumag, Anhui Hanhai New Material, Zhaobao Magnet and X-Mag.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 2, 2025

"Way to go," said Magnet, hitting him on the shoulder.

From "Holes" by Louis Sachar