permanent magnet

American  

noun

1. a magnet that retains its magnetism after being removed from an external magnetic field.

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permanent magnet British  

noun

1. a magnet, often of steel, that retains its magnetization after the magnetic field producing it has been removed

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permanent magnet Scientific  

/ pûr′mə-nənt /

1. A piece of ferromagnetic material that retains its magnetism after it has been magnetized.

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Other Word Forms

• permanent magnetism
  noun

Etymology

Origin of permanent magnet

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

permanent magnet

The result, the company says, is a magnet with comparable performance to a standard permanent magnet without any heavy rare earths at all.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026

Afterward, the researchers collected the robots with a permanent magnet and used ultrasound to detach the bacteria clinging to them.

From Science Daily ● May 8, 2024

Rare earth permanent magnet material is subject to a 13% VAT discount on export from the country, and provincial governments give support on energy costs, for example, which also helps buoy up magnet-making facilities.

From BBC ● Apr. 4, 2024

“Chinese permanent magnet producers get raw materials at 25% below the price I can get them,” said Bernd Schleede, head of permanent magnets at VAC.

From Reuters ● Aug. 23, 2021

In this Movable coil galvanometer. instrument a permanent magnet, generally of the horseshoe shape, is employed to create a strong magnetic field, in which a light movable coil is suspended.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 4 "G" to "Gaskell, Elizabeth" by Various