To provide a magnetic sensor capable of increasing the number of magnetic resistance elements for negating each higher harmonic up to an extent not bringing production difficulty, while regulating flexibly a space between the magnetic resistance elements, capable of uniformizing a thermal characteristic and capable of enhancing discrimination precision.

In this magnetic sensor 1 having a magnetic resistance pattern formed by arranging the magnetic resistance elements for detecting a magnetic field of a magnetic scale 2, the L number of magnetic resistance elements is arranged with the prescribed space P, where L represents the number of the magnetic resistance elements for removing a higher harmonic component superimposed to a fundamental wave component of an output signal from the magnetic resistance pattern. That is, the higher harmonic component is removed by superposing displacement detection signals obtained from the optional number of magnetic resistance elements.

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