Etymologically
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magical

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 08:19. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈmæd͡ʒ.ɪ.kəl/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from magic and -al.[2][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Of or relating to magic: 1555 in the OED, the 1550s in Etymonline.[5][2]

Semantic evolution

Resembling magic in action or effect, or produced as if by magic, is from 1606, about 1600 in Etymonline.[5][2] Etymonline notes that the difference between magic and magical as adjectives is largely poetic, a matter of rhythm.[2] Wonderful or enchanting, as a magical evening, is a modern sense.[6]

Timeline

  • 1555 – relating to magic.[5]
  • 1606 – as if by magic.[5]

Modern meaning

Adjective

  1. Relating to or using magic.
  2. Wonderful or enchanting.

Word family

  • magically
  • hypermagical
  • quasi-magical
  • semimagical
  • unmagical
  • magical thinking

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ a b c d Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins