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 closing scene is a somber picture, as Rosalia imagines her own casket, adorned with magnolias. —Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2025

Deciduous magnolia trees shed their leaves each year and should be pruned in the summer once flowering is over. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 3 Nov. 2025

The Rose Garden used to feature a green lawn flanked by elegant magnolias and rows of rosebushes, commissioned by the Kennedys. —Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025

Yet certain leaves, such as those from magnolia and loquat trees, are quite slow to decompose unless they are shredded first. —Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 17 Oct. 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