A feeling of great delight and wonder, as if under a magic spell. It can also mean an actual magical spell placed on someone or something in stories.
From Old French *enchantement*, from Latin *incantamentum* ('a spell, charm'). It comes from *incantare* ('to chant or sing over with magic words'). The term moved from literal spells to emotional magic.
Enchantment is what happens when reality feels upgraded—colors brighter, sounds sweeter, time slower. Fairy tales use literal magic, but in daily life, a song, a story, or a place can cast the same kind of 'spell.' The brain doesn’t fully separate emotional magic from fictional magic.
'Enchantment' has roots in folklore and romance where women are frequently portrayed as enchantresses or passive subjects of spells, shaping gendered expectations around beauty and passivity. It has also been used in marketing to idealize femininity as magical or otherworldly.
Use it for moods, settings, or narratives rather than to essentialize particular genders as inherently 'enchanting' or 'under a spell' of love or beauty.
["wonder","awe","captivation"]
When referencing 'enchanting' performances or arts, credit the technical mastery and creative leadership of women and marginalized genders who produce these works.
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