Nonmagnetic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Materials or substances that are not attracted to magnets and do not exhibit magnetic properties
2. Substances that lack the ability to be attracted by magnetic fields or do not possess inherent magnetic characteristics are classified this way
3. Items that do not respond to magnetic forces and are characterized by the absence of magnetic properties are described as such

Etymology: The prefix in "nonmagnetic" is one of English's most ordinary building blocks. It comes from Old English "nān", meaning "not one" or "none", which passed through Middle English as "non" and settled into the role of a negating prefix, so that "non-" simply means "not" when attached to a word. The stem "magnetic" is older and far more colourful. It traces back to Ancient Greek "mágnēs", a word for a magnetic stone, and the ancient Greeks likely borrowed it from a place name, though the exact origin is uncertain. The Greek word passed through Latin as "magnēs" and into Old French as "magnete", and English took "magnete" in Middle English before reshaping it into "magnet". The adjective "magnetic" was then formed with the suffix "-ic", which descends from Latin "-icus" and means "relating to" or "having the nature of". So "magnetic" literally means "relating to the magnet". Putting these together, "nonmagnetic" is a plain English compound: "non-" attached to "magnetic", meaning "not magnetic". It is a transparent formation rather than a borrowed or coined term with a dramatic backstory.

Synonyms: attractive, nonferrous, nonconductive, nonmetallic, insulating

Antonyms: magnetic, ferromagnetic, attractive, conductive, metallic