wizard

American  

[wiz-erd] / ˈwɪz ərd /

noun

1. a person who practices magic; magician or sorcerer.

   Synonyms:

   diviner, thaumaturge, necromancer, enchanter

2. a conjurer or juggler.

3. Also whiz, wiz a person of amazing skill or accomplishment.

   a wizard at chemistry.

4. Computers. a software feature that guides users through complex procedures with step-by-step instructions, often presented in dialog boxes.

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adjective

1. of or relating to a wizard.

2. magic.

3. British Slang. superb; excellent; wonderful.

   That's wizard!

wizard British  

/ ˈwɪzəd /

noun

1. a male witch or a man who practises or professes to practise magic or sorcery

2. a person who is outstandingly clever in some specified field; expert

3. obsolete a wise man

4. computing a computer program that guides a user through a complex task

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adjective

1. informal superb; outstanding

2. of or relating to a wizard or wizardry

Other Word Forms

• wizardlike adjective
• wizardly adjective

Etymology

Origin of wizard

First recorded in 1400–50, late Middle English wisard; wise ¹, -ard

Explanation

A wizard is a kind of magician. A wise man who can perform magic spells in a fairy tale or fantasy novel is often described as a wizard. One of the most famous fictional wizards is Harry Potter, who first learns of his magical abilities when Hagrid says, "Harry — yer a wizard." Sometimes wizards are described as male versions of witches, while other stories use the term as a gender-neutral name for anyone with magical powers. Colloquially, you might call someone a wizard if they're truly amazing at what they do (even if it's not magic): "She's a wizard at dog training!"

Example Sentences

Likewise, in a town just north of Manchester, fans queued up to see their own waltzing, weaving wizard in Jay-Jay Okocha, who became the face of Sam Allardyce's Bolton Wanderers revolution.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

The Obi Wan is Bob Corby, a beloved rink wizard from St. Louis whose time-worn, brute-force coaching methods have lifted Stolz into the planet’s most dominating skater, a favorite to win multiple golds here.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026

"I'm not Gandalf the White," the Madrid coach told reporters, referring to the fictional wizard from the Lord of the Rings.

From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026

For ages, I've been campaigning for a wizard in a wheelchair or a disability to be visible in that world in some way.

From BBC • Jan. 2, 2026

It was good practice for him, and although he was the only living wizard in the world with his regular hand, the right, still, he was more than worthy with his left.

From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman

Related Words

• genius
• shark
• whiz