What does ferrimagnet mean?
A ferrimagnet is a material that displays ferrimagnetism, one of several forms of ordered magnetism found in solids. In such materials, the magnetic moments of neighbouring atoms line up in opposite directions, as in an antiferromagnet — but because the opposing sets are unequal in strength, they do not cancel completely, leaving a net magnetization similar to, though usually weaker than, that of a ferromagnet. The distinction was clarified by Louis Néel in the late 1940s, work that earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics and explained why many oxides once classed simply as ferromagnetic behave differently at the atomic scale. The best-known example is magnetite (Fe₃O₄), familiar as lodestone, along with ferrites widely used in transformer cores, microwave devices, and recording media. The word is technical, appearing chiefly in physics and materials-science writing rather than everyday speech, but the underlying idea is central to understanding magnetic oxides and modern electronic components.
nounA material that exhibits ferrimagnetism, in which magnetic moments of atoms align antiparallel but unequally, producing a net spontaneous magnetization.
- A substance whose magnetic moments are ordered antiparallel but unequal, giving it a net spontaneous magnetization below its Curie temperature.
"Magnetite, the oldest known magnetic mineral, is a classic ferrimagnet."
"Because the sublattice moments are unequal, a ferrimagnet behaves much like a ferromagnet in everyday tests."
"The researchers grew a thin film of yttrium iron garnet, a transparent insulating ferrimagnet prized for low-loss spin-wave propagation."
Regular countable noun; standard plural in scientific usage.
"Most useful ferrimagnets are ceramic oxides known as ferrites."
The lodestone that guided ancient sailors turns out to be not a true 'iron-magnet' at all, but a ferrimagnet — its magnetism the residue of opposing atomic moments that almost cancel out.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of ferrimagnet
The term derives from Latin ferrum, meaning 'iron', combined with 'magnet', echoing the older word 'ferromagnet'. It arose from 'ferrimagnetism', coined by French physicist Louis Néel around 1948 to describe the magnetic ordering he had identified in certain metal oxides, particularly ferrites. English retains the Latin root ferrum across related vocabulary such as 'ferrous' and 'ferromagnet', while 'magnet' traces back through Latin magnes and Greek Magnesia, referring to the region associated with lodestone.
Related word forms
How ferrimagnet is actually used
A technical term confined to physics, materials science, and engineering contexts; it denotes the material itself, while 'ferrimagnetism' names the phenomenon and 'ferrimagnetic' the adjectival form.
Easily confused with ferrimagnet
In a ferromagnet all magnetic moments align parallel in the same direction, whereas in a ferrimagnet they align antiparallel on two unequal sublattices, leaving a smaller net magnetization.