What does magnetisation mean?
Magnetisation is the process of giving a material or object magnetic properties, as well as the degree to which those properties are present. It occurs when a magnetic field causes domains within suitable materials, particularly ferromagnetic metals such as iron, to align. The resulting magnetisation can be temporary, as in a magnetised steel needle, or more enduring depending on the material and the conditions involved. The term is especially common in physics, engineering, geology, and materials science, where researchers examine how magnetic properties arise, persist, and change. British English generally uses the spelling magnetisation, while American English uses magnetization. Although the word is often discussed in connection with artificial magnets and electromagnets, magnetisation is also fundamental to the behaviour of Earth itself: the planet's core is magnetised, helping to produce the global magnetic field that supports compass navigation and protects the atmosphere from charged solar particles.
nounThe process of giving a material or object magnetic properties, or the degree to which it has been magnetised.
- The act or process of making a substance or object magnetic.
- The degree to which a material or object has been magnetised.
"The magnetisation of the iron core greatly strengthened the electromagnet's magnetic field."
"He studied the magnetisation of different ferromagnetic materials under a varying magnetic field."
"Careful demagnetisation is essential when removing a component that has become magnetised during machining."
The plural is possible but uncommon because the term is usually used as an uncountable process or a measurable property.
"The researchers compared the magnetisations of the samples after repeated heating cycles."
Magnetisation turns ordinary materials into temporary magnets—and into the heart of compasses, motors, speakers, and MRI machines.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of magnetisation
Magnetisation was formed in English from magnet, with the suffix -isation indicating a process or action. Magnet ultimately comes through Old French magnet from the Greek magnētis lithos, meaning “stone of Magnesia,” a name associated with naturally magnetised stones. The related forms magnetic and magnetism developed from the same Greek and Latin vocabulary.
Related word forms
How magnetisation is actually used
Chiefly used in physics, engineering, geology, and materials science. British spelling normally takes -isation, whereas American spelling takes -ization.
Easily confused with magnetisation
Magnetism is the broader phenomenon of magnetic attraction and repulsion, whereas magnetisation is the process of inducing magnetic properties in a material or the degree of those properties.
These are the same word in British and American spelling respectively.