Magically

How to spell magically

9 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce magically

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does magically mean?

1. adverbIn a way that seems to be produced by magic, or that happens with surprising, inexplicable ease.

Magically in a sentence

• The missing keys magically reappeared on the kitchen table.

• After a good night of sleep, the headache magically vanished.

Where does magically come from?

Language of origin: Greek

This adverb is built from 'magic', which travelled into English in the late 1300s through Old French 'magique' from the Latin 'magicus'. The Latin word in turn came from the Greek 'magikos', meaning 'of the Magi', the learned priestly caste of ancient Persia whose name (Greek 'magos', plural 'magoi') was attached to astrology and sorcery. Over time the sense softened from genuine spell-casting to anything that happens as if by enchantment, with a wonderful, inexplicable ease. The adverb 'magically' was formed in English by stacking the adjective ending '-al' onto 'magic' and then the adverb ending '-ly' on top, which is precisely why it carries a double 'l' that 'magic' alone never shows. The same Greek 'magos' also gives us the biblical 'Magi', the wise men who followed the star.

How the word is built

• magic (from magus: sorcerer)
• -al (adjective)
• -ly (adverb)