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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  
/ pûr′mə-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:

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

European auto suppliers were already eager to diversify their permanent magnet sources before China’s move, Suleman said, and the April restrictions prompted more interest from customers in other industries.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 16, 2025

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

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

"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 Roger Thompson Finlay

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