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
This wreath is punctuated by several magnolia flowers that stand out against a leafy backdrop.
—
Blake Bakkila, Architectural Digest, 20 May 2025
Fill hurricane vases with magnolia leaves, or something similar, for a green centerpiece, or place camellias in a crystal bowl for a delightfully bright focal point.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 18 May 2025
One of our more than 20-year-old southern magnolia trees seems to be declining.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 May 2025
The Garden will be applying dormant oil spray to many magnolias this spring.
—Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for magnolia
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Blake Bakkila, Architectural Digest, 20 May 2025
Fill hurricane vases with magnolia leaves, or something similar, for a green centerpiece, or place camellias in a crystal bowl for a delightfully bright focal point.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 18 May 2025
One of our more than 20-year-old southern magnolia trees seems to be declining.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 May 2025
The Garden will be applying dormant oil spray to many magnolias this spring.
—Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for magnolia
Cite this Entry
“Magnolia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magnolia. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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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