Describing a material whose unpaired electrons create opposing magnetic forces that partially cancel, resulting in a net magnetic moment.
From 'ferrimagneti-' combining 'ferri-' (iron) with 'magnetic' from Greek 'magnēs' (lodestone). Coined in the 1930s as physicists discovered materials with unusual magnetic properties.
Unlike regular magnets where all electrons point the same way, ferrimagnetic materials are like a tug-of-war where both sides are strong but not equal—one side always wins! This gives materials like magnetite in bird brains their special magnetic properties.
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