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
Recent Examples on the Web
The artist and designer’s decorative mirrors, screens, tables, lighting, seating and objects made with magnolias, bamboo and other flora will be featured alongside Maison Gerard’s curation of French Art Deco, 1940s French Modern era, and midcentury design.
—
Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 15 May 2026
Inside, in the first gallery, is Odalisque couchée aux magnolias.
—Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 15 May 2026
Brown leaves don’t always mean the worst for your magnolia.
—Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 15 May 2026
It’s formulated with a blend of chaga, lion’s mane, cordyceps and reishi mushrooms, plus adaptogens lemon balm, passion flower, L-theanine, mucuna pruriens, ashwagandha, holy basil, magnolia bark and wild jujube.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 7 May 2026
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Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 15 May 2026
Inside, in the first gallery, is Odalisque couchée aux magnolias.
—Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 15 May 2026
Brown leaves don’t always mean the worst for your magnolia.
—Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 15 May 2026
It’s formulated with a blend of chaga, lion’s mane, cordyceps and reishi mushrooms, plus adaptogens lemon balm, passion flower, L-theanine, mucuna pruriens, ashwagandha, holy basil, magnolia bark and wild jujube.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for magnolia
Cite this Entry
“Magnolia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magnolia. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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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