magician
gb/məd͡ʒˈɪʃən/ us/məd͡ʒˈɪʃən/
B1
English
~ 9100
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
entertainer doing magic tricks
A person who entertains people by doing magic tricks that only look like real magic.
Usage pattern:
[a] magician performs [a magic trick]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "magician" with "musician" because the words look similar. A **magician** does magic tricks; a **musician** plays music. Some learners also think a magician uses real magic, but on stage it is only skill and illusion, not real supernatural power.
Synonyms
illusionist (A more technical or formal term, especially for stage performers who focus on visual tricks and large illusions.)
|
conjurer (Slightly old-fashioned in everyday speech, but still used, especially to emphasize clever hand tricks and making objects appear or disappear.)
Antonyms
spectator (Refers to someone who only watches the show, the opposite role of the magician who performs.)
Collocations
stage magician
|professional magician
|street magician
|party magician
|close-up magician
|magician's assistant
Themes
entertainment
|jobs
|leisure
|arts
|arts_entertainment
|communication
Examples
- The magician pulled a live rabbit out of an empty hat.
- We hired a magician to entertain the children at the birthday party.
- On weekends he works as a street magician in the city center.
- The audience gasped as the magician made the cards disappear.
- She dreams of becoming a professional magician one day.
Learner examples
- The magician shows a card trick.
- A magician makes a coin disappear.
- We watch a magician at the party.
- The children laugh when the magician takes a rabbit from the hat.
- My uncle is a magician and does magic shows.
Noun
B2
entity
2
wizard-like user of magic
In books, movies, or games, a person who can really use magic, like casting spells or controlling special powers.
Usage pattern:
[a] magician casts [a spell]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this fantasy meaning with the entertainer meaning. In a **real show**, a magician does tricks. In a **fantasy story**, a magician has real magic powers. Learners may also think "wizard" and "magician" are always different, but in many stories they are very close in meaning and can overlap.
Synonyms
wizard (Common fantasy word, especially for a male magic-user; often suggests an older, wise character.)
|
sorcerer (Fantasy word that can sound darker or more dangerous than "wizard" or "magician".)
Antonyms
ordinary person (Highlights that unlike a magician, an ordinary person in the story has no magical powers.)
Collocations
powerful magician
|evil magician
|young magician
|ancient magician
|dark magician
Themes
fantasy
|fiction
|games
|supernatural
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- The story follows a young magician who studies spells at a secret academy.
- Only a powerful magician could lift the curse from the kingdom.
- An evil magician is trying to control the dragon with dark magic.
- In the game, you can play as a warrior, an archer, or a magician.
- The old magician taught her how to focus her magic energy.
Learner examples
- In this movie, a magician fights a big monster with magic.
- The boy wants to be a great magician and learn many spells.
- A bad magician uses his magic to hurt people.
- The village asks a magician to stop the curse.
- In this game, my character is a magician who throws fire.
Noun
B2
entity
3
someone extremely skilled at something
A person who is very, very good at something, so good that it seems almost like magic.
Usage pattern:
[a] magician with [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think this use means the person does **real magic**. Here it is only a **metaphor** meaning "extremely skilled". Another common mistake is saying "magician of computers"; in natural English we say "magician **with** computers" or "computer magician".
Synonyms
wizard (Informal and often used metaphorically in the same way, especially in phrases like "computer wizard" or "math wizard".)
|
genius (Emphasizes very high natural intelligence or talent, without the playful "magic" image of "magician".)
Antonyms
amateur (Suggests someone who is not very skilled and often does something only as a hobby, opposite of an expert "magician" in that field.)
Collocations
magician with numbers
|magician in the kitchen
|magician with computers
|financial magician
Themes
skills
|work
|evaluation
|daily_life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She’s a real magician in the kitchen and can turn simple ingredients into amazing meals.
- Our accountant is a magician with numbers and always finds a way to save us money.
- The new coach has been a magician with the team, taking them from last place to champions.
- He’s a marketing magician who can make any product seem exciting.
- Their software engineer is a magician with code, fixing complex bugs in minutes.
Learner examples
- My mother is a magician in the kitchen and cooks great food.
- Our teacher is a magician with numbers and makes math easy.
- He is a magician with computers and can fix any problem.
- The new boss is a magician with people and makes everyone work well together.
- She is a magician with money and never wastes it.
Noun
formal
C1
entity
4
practitioner of real-world magic
A person who people believe uses real magic or secret powers in the real world, often in religion or occult traditions.
Usage pattern:
[a] magician practices [magic]
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this more serious, real-world meaning is formal and less common in everyday speech. In modern casual English, people more often talk about **wizards** or **sorcerers** in stories, and about **magicians** as entertainers in real life.
Synonyms
occultist (Focuses on involvement with hidden or mystical practices; may or may not imply using active supernatural powers.)
|
sorcerer (Often used for someone thought to use dangerous or forbidden magic, sometimes in myths or religious warnings.)
Antonyms
skeptic (A skeptic does not believe such magic is real, the opposite attitude toward supernatural powers.)
Collocations
black magician
|court magician
|ceremonial magician
|ritual magician
Themes
religion
|supernatural
|beliefs
Examples
- Some ancient cultures consulted a magician before important battles.
- The text warns believers not to seek help from any magician or fortune-teller.
- He studied the history of ceremonial magicians in medieval Europe.
- In that village, people still fear the local magician who is said to curse enemies.
Learner examples
- In old times, people went to a magician for help with problems.
- The book says a magician can use magic to change the future.
- Some people today still believe a magician can heal them.
- The story tells of a magician who works for the king.
Grammar
Dictionary form
magician
IPA
GB/məd͡ʒˈɪʃən/
US/məd͡ʒˈɪʃən/
Syllables & stress
ma - gi - cian (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (gi)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: magician
- Plural: magicians
Word family
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.