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magic

Definition of Magic

(noun) The art and practice of ritually compelling supernatural beings and forces to act in a certain way.

Examples of Magic

Magic Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: mag·ic

Audio Pronunciation

– American English
– British English

Phonetic Spelling

  • American English – /mAj-ik/
  • British English – /mAj-ik/

International Phonetic Alphabet

  • American English – /ˈmædʒɪk/
  • British English – /ˈmadʒɪk/

Usage Notes

  • Plural: magics
  • Magic typically works through performing rituals.
  • Variant spellings:
    • majic
    • majik
    • magick

Additional Information

Related Terms

Works Consulted

Ember, Carol R., and Melvin Ember, eds. 2003. Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender: Men and Women in the World’s Cultures. New York: Springer.

Merriam-Webster. (N.d.) Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/).

Oxford University Press. (N.d.) Oxford Dictionaries. (https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/).

Thompson, William E., and Joseph V. Hickey. 2012. Society in Focus: An Introduction to Sociology. 7th ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Tischler, Henry L. 2011. Introduction to Sociology. 10th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Turner, Bryan S., ed. 2006. The Cambridge Dictionary of Sociology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Wikipedia contributors. (N.d.) Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. (https://en.wikipedia.org/).

Cite the Definition of Magic

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “magic.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved April 16, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/m/magic/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

magic. (2014). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/m/magic/

Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “magic.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed April 16, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/m/magic/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“magic.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2014. Web. 16 Apr. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/magic/>.