amulet

noun

am·​u·​let ˈam-yə-lət How to pronounce amulet (audio)
Synonyms of amulet
: a charm (such as an ornament) often inscribed with a magic incantation or symbol to aid the wearer or protect against evil (such as disease or witchcraft)

Synonyms of amulet

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of amulet in a Sentence

a small cross made of goat bone was worn in the Middle Ages as an amulet to ward off evil
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There’s an amulet (one of those glowing doohickeys the fate of the cosmos hangs on), and your heart may sink every time someone starts chattering about it. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 6 May 2026 Irony is thus the amulet of thought, which is why it is favored by philosophers from Socrates to Kierkegaard to Derrida. — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 14 June 2026 Sharp objects like scissors and needles or amulets should be carried by pregnant women or placed near sleeping children to ward off her attacks. — Literary Hub, 5 May 2026 One day in the 1960s, a little boy entered a jewelry shop in Cairo and held out an ancient scarab amulet. — Ariel Sabar, The Atlantic, 13 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for amulet

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin amulētum, of obscure origin

First Known Use

1584, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of amulet was in 1584

Browse Nearby Words

amula
amulet
amuletic
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Amulet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amulet. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

amulet

noun
am·​u·​let ˈam-yə-lət How to pronounce amulet (audio)
: a small object worn as a charm against evil

More from Merriam-Webster on amulet

Nglish: Translation of amulet for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about amulet

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All