magnolia

noun

mag·​no·​lia mag-ˈnōl-yə 

: any of a genus (Magnolia of the family Magnoliaceae, the magnolia family) of American and Asian shrubs and trees with entire evergreen or deciduous leaves and usually showy white, yellow, rose, or purple flowers usually appearing in early spring

Illustration of magnolia

Examples of magnolia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The house is surrounded by towering, centuries-old magnolia trees, dogwoods, pecan trees, and Southern live oaks, and has a pretty shaded garden. —Amy Bentley, Oc Register, 7 May 2025

The White House has planted a new sapling to replace an ancient magnolia named for President Andrew Jackson. —Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025

The bottom line: Between the fleeting magnolia and cherry blossoms, and the rare bird, Oak Hill is D.C.'s best spring photo opp. —Anna Spiegel, Axios, 1 Apr. 2025

The announcement from the president comes after former President Joe Biden planted a southern magnolia outside the White House in May 2022 as part of a Memorial Day ceremony. —Asher Notheis, The Washington Examiner, 31 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Pierre Magnol †1715 French botanist

First Known Use

1739, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

magnolia

noun

mag·​no·​lia mag-ˈnōl-yə 

: any of a genus of North American and Asian trees or tall shrubs having usually showy white, yellow, rose, or purple flowers that appear before or sometimes with the leaves in the spring

Medical Definition

magnolia

noun

mag·​no·​lia mag-ˈnōl-yə 

1

capitalized : a genus (family Magnoliaceae, the magnolia family) of North American and Asian shrubs and trees including some whose bark has been used especially as a bitter tonic and diaphoretic in folk medicine

2

a

: any shrub or tree of the genus Magnolia

b

: the dried bark of a magnolia