mystical

[ mis-ti-kuhl ]

adjective

1. mystic; of or relating to supernatural agencies, affairs, occurrences, etc.:

   a strange, mystical experience.

2. of or relating to mystics or mysticism:

   mystical writings.

3. spiritually symbolic:

   a mystical vision of the hereafter.

4. obscure in meaning; mysterious:

   mystical circumstances.

mystical

/ ˈmɪstɪkəl /

adjective

1. relating to or characteristic of mysticism
2. Christianity having a divine or sacred significance that surpasses natural human apprehension
3. having occult or metaphysical significance, nature, or force
4. a less common word for mysterious

Derived Forms

• ˈmysticalness, noun
• ˈmystically, adverb

Other Words From

• mysti·cal·ly adverb
• mysti·cali·ty mysti·cal·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of mystical¹

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English; mystic, -al ¹

Synonym Study

See mysterious.

Example Sentences

What may look online like a magical, mystical voice of secret wisdom may just be a guy hiding behind the Internet’s veil, trying to keep it all going, hoping it doesn’t spin out of control.

From Washington Post

Like the ancient philosophers whose ideas of the universe predicted later discoveries, Chandrasekar expresses both mystical and scientific verities.

From Washington Post

This show could have easily had Scarlet Witch battling baddies with powers like telekinesis in every episode, flying around the picket-fence fantasy hurling energy balls at some mystical villain.

From Time

Paoletta echoed that sentiment, saying the guides know there’s a whiff of the mystical around their city, and “they enjoy showing people that it’s a real place, with real people, with interesting things happening there.”

From Washington Post

In a study the same year that looked into personality traits, people who had had a mystical experience scored much higher for openness after the trip than they had before.

From Popular-Science

The unusual textures (santouri, ney, lyra, clarinets, voices) impart a mystical quality to this work.

From The Daily Beast

The monomyth always begins with the hero in the normal world, but that world soon shifts to a mystical one.

From The Daily Beast

It is about, his words, “mystical things happening to ordinary people.”

From The Daily Beast

“My ancestors are guayusa,” posits Frederico, with a more mystical approach to the genesis theory.

From The Daily Beast

The sale of magic beans and dolls and other mystical, Eastern tchotchkes had made me suspicious.

From The Daily Beast

An Introduction, maestoso, followed by something mystical (Kents Prediction).

From Project Gutenberg

Another poet of the fifth century recommends the mystical charm as an antidote to diseases of cattle.

From Project Gutenberg

In other ways we see favourable traces of his earlier mystical associations.

From Project Gutenberg

The origin of religions is enshrouded in mystical darkness, and is a mere speculation.

From Project Gutenberg

And Nina, with her murkiness, was manifestly in love with this spiritual, this mystical young man.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• esoteric
• magical