Wizard Meaning
/ˈwɪz.əːd/Definition, CEFR level A2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Definition
nounSomeone, usually male, who uses (or has skill with) magic, mystic items, and magical and mystical practices.
nounOne who is especially skilled or unusually talented in a particular field.
Sentence Examples
Word Origin & History
From Middle English wysard, wysarde, equivalent to wise + -ard. A uniquely medieval Anglo-Saxon word with no known morphologically exact cognates inside the Germanic family; did not gain distinct sense of "occultist, magic user" (as opposed to a philosopher or sage) until circa 1500s, aligning roughly with the starting English Renaissance. However, via Proto-Indo-European *weyd- cognate with Proto-Celtic *druwits (whence English druid), Proto-Slavic *vědьma (Polish wiedźma, Russian ве́дьма (védʹma)), Russian веду́н (vedún). The sense of "old (male) virgin" is from a Japanese Internet meme in which virgins who are typically friendless, shy outcasts and loners who don't fit in anywhere legendarily gain magical powers upon reaching 30 years of age; popularized ultimately by 4chan and adjacent online incel spaces. Compare typologically specialist (<< Latin speciō).