mystical

American  

[mis-ti-kuhl] / ˈmɪs tɪ kəl /

adjective

1. mystic; of or relating to supernatural agencies, affairs, occurrences, etc..

   a strange, mystical experience.

2. of or relating to mystics or mysticism.

   mystical writings.

3. spiritually symbolic.

   a mystical vision of the hereafter.

4. obscure in meaning; mysterious.

   mystical circumstances.

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mystical British  

/ ˈmɪstɪkəl /

adjective

1. relating to or characteristic of mysticism

2. Christianity having a divine or sacred significance that surpasses natural human apprehension

3. having occult or metaphysical significance, nature, or force

4. a less common word for mysterious

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Related Words

See mysterious.

Other Word Forms

• mysticality noun
• mystically adverb
• mysticalness noun

Etymology

Origin of mystical

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English; mystic, -al ¹

Example Sentences

“The third man,” began my mystical aunt, her hands gliding over the globe on her table, “he is your Future.”

From Literature

Located in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mystical status among fight fans after producing a slew of UFC champions in recent years.

From BBC

As with most holiday-related rituals, digging into the history of the yule log as a TV tradition dispels some of its mystical wonder, revealing its origin in desperate necessity.

From Salon

The artist’s first New York retrospective, currently on view at the International Center of Photography, reveals a cinematic eye and a taste for the mystical.

From The Wall Street Journal

He escapes into a mystical realm that is shown in a series of short films which span the 20th century, each vignette starring him in a different guise.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• esoteric
• magical