mystic

1 of 2

adjective

mys·​tic ˈmi-stik How to pronounce mystic (audio)
1
2
: of or relating to mysteries or esoteric rites : occult
3
: of or relating to mysticism or mystics
4
c
: inducing a feeling of awe or wonder
d
: having magical properties

mystic

2 of 2

noun

1
: a follower of a mystical way of life
2
: an advocate of a theory of mysticism

Examples of mystic in a Sentence

Adjective She had a mystic vision while praying. the notion that a cat has nine lives is based upon the belief that nine is a mystic number
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Penguin focuses on the early years of the Fantastic Four, the X-Men and the Avengers; Folio gives us a broader, more deluxe survey of the career of Doctor Strange, master of the mystic arts. Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2023 Hilma af Klint, a largely unknown Swedish artist and mystic was discovered as an important pioneer of abstract painting. Zachary Small, New York Times, 28 Aug. 2023 Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Naperville Tuesday for an encounter with the relics of St. Pio of Pietrelcina. Also known as Padre Pio, St. Pio was born Francesco Forgione in 1887 and became an Italian Franciscan Capuchin friar, priest and mystic. Suzanne Baker, Chicago Tribune, 14 July 2023 Francesco Forgione, known as Padre Pio or St. Pio, was an Italian Franciscan Capuchin friar, priest and mystic who was beatified in 1999 and canonized in 2002 by Pope John Paul II. Suzanne Baker, Chicago Tribune, 6 July 2023 CBDistillery Learn more about the mystic realm of CBD oil, where each bottle is a unique work of art. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 24 July 2023 According to the city of Orange Beach, mystic societies will travel along Perdido Beach Boulevard from the traffic signal just east of Phoenix West to the intersection of Ala. 161, near the Publix shopping center. al, 2 Jan. 2023 From clairvoyant camels to mystic elephants and cryptic rats, a range of animals -- big and small -- have tried their paws, hooves and tentacles at predicting the score line. Emma Ogao, ABC News, 26 Nov. 2022 There is a mystic heaviness to Libertie's language — her speech, her writing, her thoughts — and Greenidge structures the novel in sections hinging on significant plot points: the death of a patient, the founding of a hospital, traveling to college, getting married and giving birth. Jackie Thomas-Kennedy Special To The Star Tribune, Star Tribune, 26 Mar. 2021
Noun
The horror genre — like any other — has its stock characters: the creepy child, the father-on-the-edge, the wise mystic. Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 12 July 2023 But his lay order is a deliberate hodgepodge of the ideas Duncan has studied for much of his life: the works of 14th century German mystic Meister Eckhart; the Japanese Buddhist Eihei Dogen; the sacred Vedas of India. Maggie Neal Doherty, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2023 Still — unsavory inhabitants notwithstanding — the arid, sandy swaths of the American Southwest have attracted generations of artists, mystics, hippies and cowboys. Caitie Kelly, New York Times, 5 June 2023 Even within the rabbinic tradition, there were regular disagreements: between mystics and rationalists, for example; debates over people claiming to be the messiah; and differences in customs between regions, from medieval Spain to Poland to Yemen. Joshua Shanes, Fortune, 19 June 2023 The mystics and statistics do not see the Sox making the playoffs. Peter Abraham, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Mar. 2023 Kesha resumes her seat on the mystic’s throne and inhales. Amy Rose Spiegel, SELF, 20 June 2023 One of those saints was St. Faustina Kowalska, a Polish mystic who claimed to have visions of Jesus Christ during the 1930s. Christine Rousselle, Fox News, 2 Apr. 2023 Not unlike visionaries and mystics, martyrs and saints, the narrator finds a path to liberation through self-erasure or subsumption in sublime experience. Saidiya Hartman, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mystic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English mystyke "open to symbolic or spiritual interpretation," borrowed from Latin mysticus "of secret rites, secret," borrowed from Greek mystikós, from mýstēs "person initiated (into a religious cult)" (probably from mys-, variant stem of mȳ́ein "to close, shut [the eyes]"—of uncertain origin— + -tēs, agent suffix) + ikos -ic entry 1

Noun

probably derivative of mystic entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1640, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mystic was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near mystic

Cite this Entry

“Mystic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mystic. Accessed 27 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

mystic

1 of 2 adjective
mys·​tic ˈmis-tik How to pronounce mystic (audio)
1
2
: of or relating to magic : occult
3

mystic

2 of 2 noun
: a person who seeks direct knowledge of God through meditation and prayer

Geographical Definition

Mystic

geographical name

Mys·​tic ˈmi-stik How to pronounce Mystic (audio)
river in eastern Massachusetts flowing southeast into Boston Harbor

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