enchantment

noun

en·​chant·​ment in-ˈchant-mənt How to pronounce enchantment (audio)
en-
1
a
: the act or art of enchanting
b
: the quality or state of being enchanted
As the newness of the projects wore off, however, their enchantment with the apartment faded.Charles Whitaker
2
: something that enchants
the enchantments of sailing
3
: a magic spell
"Why would you be mad to try and rob Gringotts?" Harry asked. "Spells—enchantments," said Hagrid …J. K. Rowling
"She has made an enchantment over the whole country so that it is always winter here and never Christmas."C. S. Lewis

Examples of enchantment in a Sentence

Our enchantment faded when we found that the house needed even more repairs. the enchantment of a snowy field bathed in moonlight He writes about the dangers as well as the enchantments of sailing. stories about wizards and enchantments
Recent Examples on the Web By now, the sweetest fairy tale of them all has gotten a princess' share of big-screen outings, to varying degrees of enchantment. EW.com, 4 Mar. 2024 Hocus Pocus 2 originally planned to take Thora Birch away into the sequel's land of enchantment. EW.com, 30 Oct. 2023 Though shaded with melancholy, the novel is touched with enchantment, kind in its outlook and exceedingly droll in its attention to people’s little ways. Katherine A. Powers, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2023 Previous collaborators include Nicholas Daley, Richard Malone, Ahluwalia and Alexa Chung. Stefan Cooke’s playful yet rigorously precise collections riff on an adolescent enchantment with indie sleaze. Laura Hawkins, Vogue, 15 Sep. 2023 Books How Judy Blume’s ‘Margaret’ became a movie: Time travel and no streamers, for a start April 26, 2023 While the book’s enchantment with its setting could feel fetishistic, the show’s use of a memorable era feels strangely amnesiac. Bonnie Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2023 But the revival found its true enchantment by streamlining Shakespeare’s dramatic poem for a cast that beautifully reflected the mosaic of contemporary Los Angeles. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2023 Since the term was coined, in the eighteen-sixties, Americans have gone through cycles of enchantment and disenchantment with the idea. Ryan Ruby, The New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2023 Nature provides plenty of color, enchantment and magic during the season Holiday greetings from Mt. Hoo. Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Dec. 2023

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

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of enchantment was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near enchantment

Cite this Entry

“Enchantment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enchantment. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

enchantment

noun
en·​chant·​ment in-ˈchant-mənt How to pronounce enchantment (audio)
1
: the act or art of enchanting : the state of being enchanted
2
: something that enchants : spell

More from Merriam-Webster on enchantment

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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