mystique
Americannoun
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a framework of doctrines, ideas, beliefs, or the like, constructed around a person or object, endowing the person or object with enhanced value or profound meaning.
the mystique of Poe.
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an aura of mystery or mystical power surrounding a particular occupation or pursuit.
the mystique of nuclear science.
noun
Etymology
Origin of mystique
1890–95; < French (adj.); see mystic
Explanation
An air of mystery around someone gives that person a certain mystique, like your glamorous next door neighbor who's rumored to work for the CIA. The noun mystique is good for describing someone you find fascinating, like your beautiful and mysterious French teacher with that special mystique. A place or an object can also be described this way; many travelers are attracted to India's mystique, for example. The root of mystique is thought to be the Greek word mystikos, "secret or mystic."
Vocabulary lists containing mystique
This Week in Words: Feb. 25 - Mar. 2, 2018
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2015 Spelling Bee - Words from Round 2
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English Words Derived from French, List 8
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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.
Strip away the mystique and the Greenspan put merely resembles a sensible response to prevailing economic conditions.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 23, 2026
In doing so, he said, it traded away the mystique that, under Greenspan and his predecessor Paul Volcker, had conveyed its own kind of authority.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026
He wanted to include his friends in the world of “Omakase” without letting the feature list overpower the project’s mystique.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
Part of Reble's mystique comes from Shillong itself.
From BBC • May 15, 2026
The Coca-Cola mystique had always been based on its famous secret formula, unchanged since the earliest days of the company.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
