-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
magnetic north
noun
: the northerly direction in the earth's magnetic field indicated by the north-seeking pole of a compass needle
Examples of magnetic north in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Give him a relentless work ethic, an addiction to risk and a moral compass that puts his own interests at its magnetic north pole.
—Will Oremus, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2023
But magnetic north doesn’t line up perfectly with true north, the point where the Earth’s axis hits the surface (and above which the North Star sits).
—Julie Rehmeyer, Discover Magazine, 7 Nov. 2018
The best place to see the northern lights is in what's called the auroral zone — the region of the northern hemisphere within an approximately 1,500-mile radius of the magnetic north pole.
—Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 12 July 2023
Our planet’s magnetic north pole is on the move, shifting toward the Siberian Arctic from Arctic Canada.
—Justine Calma, The Verge, 24 May 2023
The needle does not point at the actual geographical location of magnetic north.
—Eleanor McCrary, USA TODAY, 7 Dec. 2022
Conventional magnetic storage media, such as the surface of a hard disk, carry information in the form of digital bits — states denoted '0' or '1' that are represented by the magnetization of the atoms, for example with their magnetic north pole pointing up or down.
—Ron Cowen, Scientific American, 8 Aug. 2013
True north in Fairbanks is now just 16 degrees west of magnetic north.
—Ned Rozell, Anchorage Daily News, 21 Jan. 2023
Over the last 200 years, it’s been slowly weakening and shifting its magnetic north pole (where a compass points, not to be confused with the geographic north pole) from the Canadian Arctic toward Siberia.
—Chris Holt, Discover Magazine, 31 Aug. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'magnetic north.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1812, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near magnetic north
Cite this Entry
“Magnetic north.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magnetic%20north. Accessed 13 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
magnetic north
noun
: the northerly direction in the earth's magnetic field indicated by the north-seeking pole of a compass needle
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share