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permanent magnet

American  

noun

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


permanent magnet British  

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

permanent magnet Scientific  
/ pûrmə-nənt /
  1. A piece of ferromagnetic material that retains its magnetism after it has been magnetized.


Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of permanent magnet

First recorded in 1820–30

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.

See Examples For:

The problem: Even at the new factory’s initial planned capacity of 2,000 metric tons of permanent magnet material, the plant will produce a fraction of what analysts estimate European manufacturers need.

From The Wall Street Journal Nov. 16, 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.

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 one case a permanent magnet is thrust into a coil of wire, and in the other a piece of iron is made a magnet while enclosed in a coil.

From The Telephone An Account of the Phenomena of Electricity, Magnetism, and Sound, as Involved in Its Action by Dolbear, A. E. (Amos Emerson)

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