Other forms: magicians
A magician is the performer who pulls rabbits from hats and makes cards vanish. A stage magician, hire a magician, the magician's assistant.
Close-up magician and stage magician are the two branches. The word also means a worker of real magic in stories and fantasy, alongside wizard, sorcerer and enchanter — each of which a given book will define differently. Note conjuror and illusionist, which performers often prefer because they do not claim supernatural power, and the standard convention that a magician never explains a trick.
1nounmagicianA performer who does tricks that appear impossible.
“The magician pulled a white rabbit out of an empty hat.”
synonyms: conjuror, illusionist
2nounstoriesA worker of magic in stories.
“Every magician in that series pays a price for it.”
magician is a performer or magic worker.
Greek magos was a Persian priest — the same word as the Magi of the nativity. Greek and then Latin used it for anybody with occult knowledge, and English narrowed it to somebody who only appears to have any.
Proto-Indo-European
*megʰ-
Middle French
magicien
Middle English
magicien
English, today
magician
From Middle English magicien, from Middle French magicien.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA
Practised in Work & Careers