wizard
Americannoun
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wizards
plural
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a person who practices magic; magician or sorcerer.
- Synonyms:
- diviner, thaumaturge, necromancer, enchanter
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a conjurer or juggler.
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Also whiz, wiz a person of amazing skill or accomplishment.
a wizard at chemistry.
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Computers. a software feature that guides users through complex procedures with step-by-step instructions, often presented in dialog boxes.
noun
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a male witch or a man who practises or professes to practise magic or sorcery
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a person who is outstandingly clever in some specified field; expert
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obsolete a wise man
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computing a computer program that guides a user through a complex task
adjective
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informal superb; outstanding
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of or relating to a wizard or wizardry
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of wizard
First recorded in 1400–50, late Middle English wisard; see 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
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:
I walked up to the wizard and asked him, “What do they call you?”
From Salon ● Jul. 31, 2026
At the movie’s premiere, Dolan embodied the wizard, appearing in an emerald green suit and top hat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026
McLaughlin will star as the titular wizard opposite Stanton as Hermione Granger and Stout as Ron Weasley.
From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2026
Despite the reluctance of her father, the underwater wizard Fujimoto, little Ponyo falls in love with her new friend and gives up her magical powers to become human.
From Barron's ● Feb. 13, 2026
It pecked three times on the white staff Nemmerle leaned on, and the old wizard ceased his muttering, and smiled.
From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin
And those wizards will catch plenty of fish, too.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
No, that doesn’t mean the wizards in robes are doing magic.
From Slate ● Feb. 28, 2026
The four men left for Russia through a Kenyan recruitment agency, Global Face Human Resources, which boasts on its website: "Let our HR wizards connect you to exciting opportunities".
From Barron's ● Feb. 9, 2026
No stranger to the world of wizards, he previously appeared in the 2004 film Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
From BBC ● Jan. 24, 2026
The wizards toss me, Alex, and the hellhounds into a small, windowless office.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
