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

Illustration of magnolia

Examples of magnolia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The historic magnolia tree has been on the grounds of the White House for almost two centuries. —Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA Today, 1 Apr. 2025

Amid these preservation efforts, the White House had to contend with a southern magnolia tree planted by former President Andrew Jackson. —Asher Notheis, The Washington Examiner, 31 Mar. 2025

Roses, orange trees, ivy and magnolia bushes are the framework for soft and peaceful pools and fountains. —Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2025

It’s also formulated with worthwhile ingredients like sunflower seed oil, magnolia bark extract, and peptides that work for your skin rather than just sitting on top of it. —Alyssa Grabinski, People.com, 7 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Pierre Magnol †1715 French botanist

First Known Use

1739, in the meaning defined above

Kids 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