magnetic north

noun

: the northerly direction in the earth's magnetic field indicated by the north-seeking pole of a compass needle

Examples of magnetic north in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Give him a relentless work ethic, an addiction to risk and a moral compass that puts his own interests at its magnetic north pole. Will Oremus, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2023 But magnetic north doesn’t line up perfectly with true north, the point where the Earth’s axis hits the surface (and above which the North Star sits). Julie Rehmeyer, Discover Magazine, 7 Nov. 2018 The best place to see the northern lights is in what's called the auroral zone — the region of the northern hemisphere within an approximately 1,500-mile radius of the magnetic north pole. Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 12 July 2023 Our planet’s magnetic north pole is on the move, shifting toward the Siberian Arctic from Arctic Canada. Justine Calma, The Verge, 24 May 2023 The needle does not point at the actual geographical location of magnetic north. Eleanor McCrary, USA TODAY, 7 Dec. 2022 Conventional magnetic storage media, such as the surface of a hard disk, carry information in the form of digital bits — states denoted '0' or '1' that are represented by the magnetization of the atoms, for example with their magnetic north pole pointing up or down. Ron Cowen, Scientific American, 8 Aug. 2013 True north in Fairbanks is now just 16 degrees west of magnetic north. Ned Rozell, Anchorage Daily News, 21 Jan. 2023 Over the last 200 years, it’s been slowly weakening and shifting its magnetic north pole (where a compass points, not to be confused with the geographic north pole) from the Canadian Arctic toward Siberia. Chris Holt, Discover Magazine, 31 Aug. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'magnetic north.' 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

1812, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of magnetic north was in 1812

Dictionary Entries Near magnetic north

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

magnetic north

noun
: the northerly direction in the earth's magnetic field indicated by the north-seeking pole of a compass needle
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