Magic and magic tricks "Magic" has received much bad press over the years and even though most recognize the word, they are far from understanding the concept. The point is, the word has been used to describe so many things that it is impossible to accurately say what it really means. In the basest definition, magic is an occurrence, the cause for which cannot be directly determined. Thus, pulling rabbits out of hats, conjuring mists and disappearing behind them as well as winning the Olympic gold can be magic.