magician

magician — noun

1. A person who does surprising tricks that seem impossible as a way to entertain p

1.nounB1
Definition

A person who does surprising tricks that seem impossible as a way to entertain people, or a character in stories who can use supernatural powers.

Example

The magician pulled a white rabbit out of his hat, and the children all laughed.

pull + [animal] + out of + [container] — common magic trick structure

At the birthday party, a magician called Tara showed the children some card tricks.

Common collocations
  • pull a rabbit out of a hat
  • make a coin disappear
  • card tricks
  • magic show
  • perform magic
  • magician's assistant
Synonyms
  • illusionist

    more formal than magician; usually describes a performer who creates large-scale illusions rather than close-up tricks

  • conjurer

    old-fashioned or literary term for a person who does magic tricks, especially with quick hand movements

  • wizard

    refers to a person in fantasy stories with magical powers gained through study; not used for stage performers

  • sorcerer

    used in fantasy stories for a person who uses magic, often evil or dangerous; not used for stage performers

Grammar Patterns

a/an + (adjective) + magician

magician + verb (does tricks / performs / uses powers)

Usage Note

Frequently modified by an adjective to indicate the type of magician: stage magician, street magician, children's magician. The fantasy meaning appears with adjectives like old, evil, or mysterious. Can also be used metaphorically to describe someone exceptionally skilled at something (e.g., a financial magician).

Common Mistakes

The magician did a trick of pulling a rabbit.
The magician pulled a rabbit out of a hat.
In natural English, specific verbs like pull, make disappear, or turn...into are used instead of the construction do + trick + of.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Magician is the most general term, covering both stage performers and fantasy characters. Illusionist is a more technical word for a stage performer who creates large-scale illusions (making a building vanish) rather than close-up tricks; it sounds more formal. Wizard is restricted to fantasy and folklore—a person who studies magic from ancient books and casts spells; it is never used for a stage performer. Sorcerer carries a darker meaning: a person who uses magic for evil or forbidden purposes in stories, often through dangerous rituals. Conjurer is an older, less common word for someone who performs tricks with quick hand movements, often found in literary or historical contexts. For example, you would call a children's party entertainer a magician, but David Copperfield an illusionist; you would describe Merlin as a wizard, not a magician.

illusionistwizard ↗sorcererconjurer

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • pull a rabbit out of a hat
  • make something disappear
  • work like a magician

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The word magician comes from Old French magicien, which came from Latin magicus (meaning 'of magic'). The Latin word traces back to Greek magikos, referring to the Magi — a priestly group in ancient Persia thought to have special knowledge and powers. Over time the meaning shifted from 'a person with secret knowledge' to 'a person who performs tricks that seem impossible.'