magic square

noun

A palindromic square word arrangement, usually in the form of a magic amulet.

“Probably the best-known magic square is the 5×5 square consisting of the words ROTAS OPERA TENET AREPO SATOR.”

OriginFrench quarré magique ← Latin quadratum magicum →
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Meanings

nounmagic square (plural magic squares)

plural magic squares

  1. gamesA palindromic square word arrangement, usually in the form of a magic amulet.

    Probably the best-known magic square is the 5×5 square consisting of the words ROTAS OPERA TENET AREPO SATOR.

  2. mathematicsAn n-by-n arrangement of n² numbers such that the numbers in each row, in each column and along both diagonals all have the same sum.

Origin

  1. Latinquadratum magicum
  2. Frenchquarré magique
  3. Englishmagic square

As magical square by 1670 and magic square by 1701 (see Citations). Calque of French quarré magique or Latin quadratum magicum. Magic refers to its original function as a talisman.

More words from French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bengali জাদু বর্গ
  • জাদু বর্গ (jadu borgo)n-by-n arrangement of n2 numbers
Catalan àbac màgic, quadrat màgic
  • àbac màgicn-by-n arrangement of n2 numbers
  • quadrat màgicn-by-n arrangement of n2 numbers
Chinese Mandarin 幻方
  • 幻方 (huànfāng)n-by-n arrangement of n2 numbers
Finnish taikaneliö
  • taikaneliön-by-n arrangement of n2 numbers
French carré magique
  • carré magiquen-by-n arrangement of n2 numbers
German magisches Quadrat
  • magisches Quadratn-by-n arrangement of n2 numbers
Hungarian bűvös négyzet
  • bűvös négyzetn-by-n arrangement of n2 numbers
Indonesian persegi ajaib
  • persegi ajaibn-by-n arrangement of n2 numbers
Japanese 魔方陣
  • 魔方陣 (mahōjin)n-by-n arrangement of n2 numbers
Korean 마방진
  • 마방진 (mabangjin)n-by-n arrangement of n2 numbers
Persian مربع جادویی
  • مربع جادوییn-by-n arrangement of n2 numbers
Portuguese quadrado mágico
  • quadrado mágicon-by-n arrangement of n2 numbers
Romanian pătrat magic
  • pătrat magicn-by-n arrangement of n2 numbers
Russian маги́ческий квадра́т
  • маги́ческий квадра́т (magíčeskij kvadrát)n-by-n arrangement of n2 numbers
Spanish cuadrado mágico
  • cuadrado mágicon-by-n arrangement of n2 numbers
Tamil மாயச் சதுரம்
  • மாயச் சதுரம் (māyac caturam)n-by-n arrangement of n2 numbers
Thai จัตุรัสกล
  • จัตุรัสกลn-by-n arrangement of n2 numbers
Turkish sihirli kare
  • sihirli karen-by-n arrangement of n2 numbers
Vietnamese ma trận kì ảo
  • ma trận kì ảon-by-n arrangement of n2 numbers
Cite this entry
APA

magic square. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/magic%20square

MLA

“magic square.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/magic%20square. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “magic square,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/magic%20square.

Source: magic square on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.