magnetize

American  

[mag-ni-tahyz] / ˈmæg nɪˌtaɪz /

especially British, magnetise

verb (used with object)

magnetized, magnetizing

1. to make a magnet of or impart the properties of a magnet to.

2. to exert an attracting or compelling influence upon.

   The evangelist's oratory magnetized his listeners.

3. Archaic. to mesmerize.

---

magnetize British  

/ ˈmæɡnɪˌtaɪz /

verb

1. to make (a substance or object) magnetic

2. to attract strongly

3. an obsolete word for mesmerize

---

magnetize Scientific  

/ măg′nĭ-tīz′ /

1. To cause an object to become temporarily or permanently magnetic. For example, an unmagnetized object made of ferromagnetic material consists of molecules that are magnetic but randomly aligned, producing no net magnetic field; exposure to a magnetic field causes the molecules to align themselves with the field, producing their own net field, so that the object as a whole becomes magnetized.

---

Other Word Forms

• magnetizable adjective
• magnetization noun
• magnetizer noun
• nonmagnetized adjective
• remagnetize verb (used with object)
• unmagnetized adjective

Etymology

Origin of magnetize

First recorded in 1775–85; magnet + -ize

Example Sentences

"We apply an oscillating field to reset the magnetization, then apply a strong magnetic field to the cilia which allows us to magnetize the microparticles in a new direction."

From Science Daily • Apr. 24, 2024

When Ryan mentioned her depression, Baltz said, “You need to magnetize your brain,” an apparent reference to transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment she received at Insight Choices, according to the accusation.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2021

Still, we are creatures of narrative, and so — as summer draws fall, or as Mardi Gras opens onto Ash Wednesday — photographs tend to magnetize words.

From Washington Post • Sep. 21, 2020

In a ferromagnet such as iron, all the atoms act like little magnets and they all point in the same direction to magnetize the entire material.

From Science Magazine • Mar. 30, 2020

“If I rub the needle with the lodestone, I’ll magnetize it. Basically I’ll turn it into a compass needle. If we can get it to float on the water without breaking the surface tension...”

From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins