amulet

noun

am·​u·​let ˈam-yə-lət 

: a charm (such as an ornament) often inscribed with a magic incantation or symbol to aid the wearer or protect against evil (such as disease or witchcraft)

Synonyms

• talisman

Examples of amulet in a Sentence

a small cross made of goat bone was worn in the Middle Ages as an amulet to ward off evil

Recent Examples on the Web

Brides in South Asia are famously decked out in the precious metal – necklaces, earrings, nose rings, hair pieces and amulets – that can be gifted or inherited. —Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025

Last year, archaeologists found 337 coins – many containing a Cleopatra image – along with oil lamps, an amulet, and vessels for storing food and cosmetics. —Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 26 Sep. 2025

Natron bubbling out of pale saline lakes in the Wadi Natron (west of the Nile) was used in making the blue glaze faience for amulets such as Taweret’s and the scarab beetles such as those produced in a delta factory. —Vanessa Taylor, Big Think, 25 Sep. 2025

Romans may have worn trilobite amulets. —Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin amulētum, of obscure origin

First Known Use

1584, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

amulet

noun

am·​u·​let ˈam-yə-lət 

: a small object worn as a charm against evil