Hollow-spherical composites of polyaniline/cobalt sulfide/carbon nanodots (PANI/CoS/CDs-0.5T) have been synthesized by in situ polymerization under an applied magnetic field (MF) of 0.5 T. As a control, PANI/CoS/CDs-OT composites have been synthesized without a MF. Both composites acting as electrodes present obvious magnetocapacitances at a scan rate of 100 mV s(-1) while the electrochemical cell tested under an external MF of 0.5 T. Notably, PANI/CoS/CDs-0.5T composites show larger magnetocapacitances than PANI/CoS/CDs-OT composites at different scan rates from 5 to 100 mV s(-1). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results indicate that MF can reduce charge transfer resistance at electrode/electrolyte interface. More importantly, PANI/CoS/CDs-0.5T composites show a much stronger electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorbing capability than PANI/CoS/CDs-OT in the range of 2-18 GHz which is attributed to an increased dielectric loss and a magnetic loss in low frequency range of 2-12.5 GHz. MF-induced ferromagnetic nanodomains of Coe* clusters in the PANI/CoS/CDs-0.5T composites increase the complex permittivity and create more interfacial polarizations or the Maxwell-Wagner effect, which leads to increased dielectric loss. Compared with PANI/CoS/CDs-OT composites with diamagnetic behaviour, MF-induced weak ferromagnetism of CoS in the PANI/CoS/CDs-0.5T composites has caused additional magnetic loss. This work provides an efficient way for modulating electrochemical or electromagnetic properties of inorganic/polymer nanocomposites by employing an external MF. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.