magnetic field

noun

: the portion of space near a magnetic body or a current-carrying body in which the magnetic forces due to the body or current can be detected

Examples of magnetic field in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Their magnetic fields are weaker, and their activity cycles are smooth and predictable, with occasional grand minima. Popular Science, 29 Feb. 2024 Every 11 years, the sun’s magnetic field changes entirely, with the north and south poles switching places. Caralin Nunes, The Arizona Republic, 28 Feb. 2024 The star’s magnetic field pulled the metals toward the star, which led to the presence of the scar, the finding has suggested. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 26 Feb. 2024 Not all scientists are convinced that the strategy accurately tracks the motion of magnetic fields, however. Quanta Magazine, 6 Feb. 2024 This created a magnetic field around the wire, and that field's interaction with the magnet at the bottom of the glass vessel would cause the wire to rotate in a clockwise direction. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 26 Dec. 2023 Earlier this year, the same team detected magnetic fields inside a further 11 red giants. WIRED, 26 Nov. 2023 For more than 70 years, fusion research has largely focused on mimicking the inside of the sun in reactors known as tokamaks, which trap superhot hydrogen gas within strong magnetic fields so that atoms will collide and fuse. Kenneth Chang, New York Times, 13 Nov. 2023 The energy harvester is clamped around a wire carrying current, and uses electromagnetic induction to harvest energy from the magnetic field produced by the current. IEEE Spectrum, 15 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'magnetic field.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of magnetic field was in 1845

Dictionary Entries Near magnetic field

Cite this Entry

“Magnetic field.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magnetic%20field. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

magnetic field

noun
: the portion of space near a magnetic body or a body carrying an electric current within which magnetic forces due to the body or current can be detected

Medical Definition

magnetic field

noun
: the portion of space near a magnetic body or a current-carrying body in which the magnetic forces due to the body or current can be detected
the magnetic field of the heart

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