Illustration of magnolia
magnolia
noun
mag·no·lia
mag-ˈnōl-yə 
: any of a genus (Magnolia of the family Magnoliaceae, the magnolia family) of American and Asian shrubs and trees with entire evergreen or deciduous leaves and usually showy white, yellow, rose, or purple flowers usually appearing in early spring
Examples of magnolia in a Sentence
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Indeed, what had looked like a fortune—the bay window, the fancy bannisters, the evergreen magnolia in the garden, which his mother had grown from a clipping taken in Lissadell—all of it had gone for the price of a fast car.
—
Anne Enright, New Yorker, 27 July 2025
Several, for instance, were guarded by enormous magnolia trees, far from their core native range in the Deep South.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
The floral scent is warm and energizing, with notes of magnolia, coconut woods and amber.
—Celia Shatzman, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
Enhance La Jolla is seeking witnesses to a car crash in The Village that took out a public bench and a magnolia tree on the Herschel Avenue sidewalk early May 24.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2025
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Anne Enright, New Yorker, 27 July 2025
Several, for instance, were guarded by enormous magnolia trees, far from their core native range in the Deep South.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
The floral scent is warm and energizing, with notes of magnolia, coconut woods and amber.
—Celia Shatzman, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
Enhance La Jolla is seeking witnesses to a car crash in The Village that took out a public bench and a magnolia tree on the Herschel Avenue sidewalk early May 24.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for magnolia
Cite this Entry
“Magnolia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magnolia. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
magnolia
noun
mag·no·lia
mag-ˈnōl-yə
: any of a genus of North American and Asian trees or tall shrubs having usually showy white, yellow, rose, or purple flowers that appear before or sometimes with the leaves in the spring
Medical Definition
magnolia
noun
mag·no·lia
mag-ˈnōl-yə
1
capitalized
: a genus (family Magnoliaceae, the magnolia family) of North American and Asian shrubs and trees including some whose bark has been used especially as a bitter tonic and diaphoretic in folk medicine
2
a
: any shrub or tree of the genus Magnolia
b
: the dried bark of a magnolia
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