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.
Though he prefers not to go into details, he says he thinks of “Barrio Triste” as a mystical manifestation of that intergenerational trauma.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
All Richard can guess is that if they take him beyond the mystical boundary cutting off the born residents of Widow’s Bay from the rest of the world, the curse might end.
From Salon ● Jun. 18, 2026
"Unfortunately, the alert was slow to circulate within the community, because people thought it was a mystical illness, and so, as a result, the sick were not taken to the hospital," Kamba said.
From Barron's ● May 19, 2026
“Pregnant Body” is mystical and botanical in its pairings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 9, 2026
In my mind, it acquired a kind of mystical power.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
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.
