Spell

In Magic: The Gathering , the term spell has three meanings; one technical, one casual and one flavorful.

Technical

A spell is any card that has been played and thus placed on the stack. A card is only a spell when it is on the stack.

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

Spell

A card on the stack. Also a copy (of either a card or another spell) on the stack. See rule 112, “Spells.”

From the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

• 112. Spells
  • 112.1. A spell is a card on the stack. As the first step of being cast (see rule 601, “Casting Spells”), the card becomes a spell and is moved to the top of the stack from the zone it was in, which is usually its owner’s hand. (See rule 405, “Stack.”) A spell remains on the stack as a spell until it resolves (see rule 608, “Resolving Spells and Abilities”), is countered (see rule 701.5), or otherwise leaves the stack. For more information, see section 6, “Spells, Abilities, and Effects.”
    • 112.1a A copy of a spell is also a spell, even if it has no card associated with it. See rule 707.10.
    • 112.1b Some effects allow a player to cast a copy of a card; if the player does, that copy is a spell as well. See rule 707.12.
  • 112.2. A spell’s owner is the same as the owner of the card that represents it, unless it’s a copy. In that case, the owner of the spell is the player under whose control it was put on the stack. A spell’s controller is, by default, the player who put it on the stack. Every spell has a controller.
    • 112.2a Some effects instruct a player to create a copy of a card and say they may cast it. In that case, the owner of that copy is the player who is instructed to create it and given permission to cast it.
  • 112.3. A noncopy spell’s characteristics are the same as those printed on its card, as modified by any continuous effects. See rule 613, “Interaction of Continuous Effects.”
  • 112.4. If an effect of a resolving spell or ability changes any characteristics of a permanent spell, the effect continues to apply to the permanent when the spell resolves. See rule 400.7.

    Example: If an effect changes a black creature spell to white, the creature is white when it enters the battlefield and remains white for the duration of the effect changing its color.

Spell ability

Any text on an instant or sorcery spell is a spell ability unless it's an activated ability, a triggered ability or a static ability.

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

Spell Ability

A kind of ability. Spell abilities are abilities that are followed as instructions while an instant or sorcery spell is resolving. See rule 113.3a.

From the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

• 113.3a Spell abilities are abilities that are followed as instructions while an instant or sorcery spell is resolving. Any text on an instant or sorcery spell is a spell ability unless it’s an activated ability, a triggered ability, or a static ability that fits the criteria described in rule 113.6.

Casual

Except for land, all of the original basic kind of card (summons, enchantments, sorceries, instants, interrupts and artifacts) are spells from the time they are cast until they resolve. However, non-permanents are collectively referred to as "spells" in common language. This includes sorceries and instants, along with the obsoleted mana sources and interrupts. This is because, under normal circumstances, these types of cards never exist in play except while they're on the stack.

Flavor

In the storyline, spells are the effect of a ritual that involves mental activity and a varying amount of both physical activity and the channeling of mana.

Mages use many different practices to channel mana, including chants, screams, and ritual motion.