mystical
Americanadjective
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relating to or characteristic of mysticism
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Christianity having a divine or sacred significance that surpasses natural human apprehension
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having occult or metaphysical significance, nature, or force
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a less common word for mysterious
Synonym Usage
See mysterious.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of mystical
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English; see mystic, -al 1
Explanation
Things that are mystical are magical or mysterious, possibly having to do with the supernatural or the occult. If you like to read fantasy stories, then you've probably read about a lot of mystical people and events. The power of a wizard is mystical — that is, magical, and not real. Witches are mystical. The unicorn is a mystical animal. Religions tend to involve mystical events, like miracles. Magicians try to make audiences believe they have mystical powers. Mystical things aren't real, but in a story or magic act, they can be fun to imagine.
Vocabulary lists containing mystical
Night
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Sugar Changed the World
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The Last Olympian
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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.
Some believed that the latest epidemic was of a "mystical malady", a common belief in some remote areas of the DRC.
From Barron's • May 24, 2026
“Brigadoon,” a romantic fantasy about two Americans who stumble upon a mystical Scottish village that magically comes to life for a single day once every 100 years, might seem to be irredeemably old-fashioned.
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026
Those who reported stronger mystical experiences also showed more pronounced biological changes, including greater coordination between different brain regions.
From Science Daily • Apr. 7, 2026
Sir Michael, who plays one of a trio of mystical wise men from the Land of Know-Alls, says the book as a child "got me going and thinking about travel".
From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026
I scribbled Okay on my own notebook and then turned to a blank page as Dr. Hyde started talking about Sufism, the mystical sect of Islam.
From "Looking for Alaska" by John Green
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
