mystic
adjective
involving or characterized by esoteric, otherworldly, or symbolic practices or content, as certain religious ceremonies and art; spiritually significant; ethereal.
mystic
1 American
[mis-tik]
/ ˈmɪs tɪk /
adjective
-
involving or characterized by esoteric, otherworldly, or symbolic practices or content, as certain religious ceremonies and art; spiritually significant; ethereal.
-
of the nature of or pertaining to mysteries known only to the initiated.
mystic rites.
-
of occult character, power, or significance.
a mystic formula.
-
of obscure or mysterious character or significance.
-
of or relating to mystics or mysticism.
noun
-
mystics
plural
-
a person who claims to attain, or believes in the possibility of attaining, insight into mysteries transcending ordinary human knowledge, as by direct communication with the divine or immediate intuition in a state of spiritual ecstasy.
-
a person initiated into religious mysteries.
Mystic
2
American
[mis-tik]
/ ˈmɪs tɪk /
noun
mystic
British
/ ˈmɪstɪk /
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
mysticitynoun
-
antimysticadjective
-
nonmysticadjective
-
semimysticadjective
-
unmysticadjective
-
mysticlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of mystic
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English mystik, from Latin mysticus, from Greek mystikós, from mýst(ēs) “an initiate into the mysteries” (from myeîn “to initiate, teach,” akin to mýein “to shut”; cf. myopia ( def. )) + -ikos -ic
Explanation
Look into my crystal ball; tell me what you see. If there's something about the future, something beyond human comprehension in there, maybe you're a mystic or someone who believes in supernatural realities. One of the most famous mystics in history is Nostradamus, who some people credit with predicting events like the French Revolution and the atom bomb. Whether you believe in mystics or not, the word is not just used to describe people. When something is mystic, it has to do with religious mysteries and practices or it simply inspires a sense of mystery or wonder, like the Himalaya Mountains, which some people consider a mystic place.
Vocabulary lists containing mystic
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Other intellectual influences include Jean Grenier, who had taught him philosophy in Algeria, and his contemporary Simone Weil, a mystic and anarchist.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026
It was this identification with Derbyshire that led Tutti to write Re-Sisters in 2002, which also focused on another non-conformist woman, the medieval Norfolk mystic Margery Kempe.
From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2025
What Lincoln called “the mystic chords of memory” will help hold stricken neighborhoods and neighbors together and will, over time, help knit together connections beyond roads and pipes and power grids.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 21, 2025
Healy Lake members, Combs said, have long considered their dogs to be mystic companions.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 4, 2024
“What have we got? A Viking berserker, a Rogue Legion, a Persian mystic, a Bedouin clan, and a Chinese ablutionist. I know! We can hide in a cave or something.”
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
Jackson, born in New York, got his start in music singing gospel before moving to California to perform with the ’70s funk band Mystic Merlin.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
Parts of Kerr County, where Camp Mystic is located, received up to 2 feet of water since Wednesday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
Saleh created her brand Mystic by Esme in 2021, but it took her some time before she could gather the courage to try to sell them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
David Standridge, chef at The Shipwright's Daughter in Mystic, Connecticut – a 2026 James Beard finalist for Outstanding Chef of the Year – is one of them.
From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026
He was a sixteen-year-old Toyota Corolla with a paint color called Mystic Teal Mica and an engine that clanked in a steady rhythm like the beating of his immaculate metallic heart.
From "Turtles All the Way Down" by John Green
Such activities include praying to gods and deities, fortunetelling and physiognomy, and consulting spiritual gurus or mystics, according to party commentaries and state media.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
Baba is a commonly used term in India to refer to mystics and religious gurus and also to fathers or grandfathers by both Hindus and Muslims.
From BBC ● Feb. 12, 2026
"They treat a whole host of maladies," said Thomas Patton, a professor at New York state's Union College who has studied Myanmar's mystics.
From Barron's ● Dec. 21, 2025
Southern California has long drawn prophets and gurus, providing a fertile breeding ground for all manner of cultists, mystics and new religious movements.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 23, 2024
Not long after her twenty-first birthday, she started seeing mystics, conjurers, and Voodoo priests, all in an attempt to magnify her vision.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
