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.

---

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

---

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

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

This coincidence—the two men aren’t related—called to mind the poem “Cathedral Builders” by Welsh poet John Ormond and equal to the mystical moment.

From The Wall Street Journal

Hear the name the Witch’s Cottage and you might conjure a mystical vision.

From Los Angeles Times

For Stevanovic, although his initial inspiration was the spiritual practices of Tibetan monks, the general appeal of icy plunges is a little less mystical -- overwhelming shock of "extreme cold".

From Barron's

As we swam on, it struck me how we humans always found things mystical till we could explain them.

From Literature

Related Words

• esoteric
• magical