Definition
The direction from which the wind is blowing, expressed in degrees measured clockwise from magnetic north rather than true north.
Plain English
The compass direction the wind is coming from, using the same north your aircraft compass uses.
Context Anchor
Seen or heard in surface wind information used for takeoff, landing, taxi, and runway selection, especially when comparing the wind to a runway heading.
Derivation
“Magnetic” comes from words connected with magnets and the compass. In this term, it means the direction is based on magnetic north, not geographic north. “Wind direction” in aviation means the direction the wind comes from, not the direction it is going toward.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots can apply it directly to the magnetic compass without first correcting for variation.
Intuition Check
Do not read this as a special kind of wind. The wind is normal wind; “magnetic” only tells you the direction reference being used. Also, wind direction means where the wind comes from, not where it is blowing to.
Example Sentence 1
The tower reported the wind as 240 at 12, so I knew runway 24 would give me a near-direct headwind.
Example Sentence 2
The pilot used the reported magnetic wind direction to determine the runway crosswind component.