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

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

Despite the large number of known magnetic compounds, no entirely new permanent magnet has been identified from this pool.

From Science Daily • Feb. 19, 2026

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

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2024

Electric motor component maker EuroGroup Laminations is working on both rare earth free permanent magnet motors and motors with limited rare earth content for automaker customers.

From Reuters • Nov. 14, 2023

"Then as we want to make a permanent magnet, must we harden both of the bars?"

From The Wonder Island Boys: The Mysteries of the Caverns by Finlay, Roger Thompson