alchemist

noun

al·​che·​mist ˈal-kə-mist 

: a person who studies or practices alchemy

alchemistic

ˌal-kə-ˈmi-stik 

adjective

or less commonly alchemistical

ˌal-kə-ˈmi-sti-kəl 

Did you know?

Alchemist: Someone Who Transforms Things for the Better

Today we recognize alchemy as a pseudoscience, and give chemistry its rightful place as a serious scientific field, but the two terms initially overlapped in meaning before separating by the 17th century, just as astrology and astronomy did during the same period.

Alchemy and alchemist are in fact older words than chemistry and chemist in English. Alchemists believed that lead could be “perfected” into gold, that diseases could be cured, and that life could be prolonged through transmutation, or a change of some essential element into a superior form. Their secretive experiments, usually involving heat and the mixing of liquids, led to the development of pharmacology and the rise of modern chemistry.

The long route to English for alchemist began with the Greek word chēmeia, which probably came from the word chyma (“fluid”), derived from the verb chein, meaning “to pour.” It then passed to Arabic, which added its definite article al- (“the”) to the Greek root. The word then passed from Latin to French before coming to English. Some other words derived from Arabic also retain the al- in English, such as algebra, algorithm, and alcohol; in fact, the transformative liquid that was constantly being sought through experimentation by alchemists is another word with the Arabic al- prefix: elixir.

This power to transform things for the better, real or imagined, led to figurative meanings for alchemy and alchemist.

Examples of alchemist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

My dreams were of being an alchemist, someone in a workshop of beautiful metal and tools sculpting things that were visceral and come with meaning. —A.d. Amorosi, Variety, 31 Jan. 2025

The harsh reality of their task has pushed more streamers to help each other, easing previous tensions as alchemists created potions as temporary salves for wounds sustained in dungeon expeditions, weavers made cloth armor for healers and valuable bags to store items. —Kazuma Hashimoto, Rolling Stone, 2 Jan. 2025

Renaissance alchemists kept their work covert, and few alchemical recipes have survived to modern times. —Cnn, The Mercury News, 25 Dec. 2024

Knightley paired the white dress with alchemist inspiration and floral details with a black coat. —Julia Teti, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019

Word History

Etymology

Middle English alkemyste, alkamystre, borrowed from Middle French and Medieval Latin; Middle French alkemiste, arquemiste, borrowed from Medieval Latin alchemista, alkimista, from alkimia, alchymia alchemy + -ista -ist entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above