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

Derived Forms

• permanent magnetism
  noun

Etymology

Origin of permanent magnet

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

Breaking Beijing’s chokehold on rare-earth supply chains requires resolving three bottlenecks: the concentration of heavy rare-earth feedstock in Myanmar and China; catching up in rare-earth processing; and rapidly scaling permanent magnet production.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 22, 2025

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

And, at present, China massively dominates global permanent magnet production, with more than 90% market share, external.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2024

Tesla initially used induction motors without rare earth permanent magnets, but switched to a permanent magnet motor for the mass-market Model 3 in 2017.

From Reuters • Nov. 14, 2023

Permanent Magnets.—A permanent magnet is a piece of steel in which an electric force is exerted at all times.

From Electricity for Boys by Zerbe, James Slough