animus

American  

[an-uh-muhs] / ˈæn ə məs /

noun

1. strong dislike or enmity; hostile attitude; animosity.

2. motivating purpose or intention; animating spirit.

3. (in the psychology of C. G. Jung) the masculine principle, especially as present in women.

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animus British  

/ ˈænɪməs /

noun

1. intense dislike; hatred; animosity

2. motive, intention, or purpose

3. (in Jungian psychology) the masculine principle present in the female unconscious See also anima

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Etymology

Origin of animus

First recorded in 1810–20; from Latin: literally, “mind, spirit, courage, passion, wrath”; akin to Greek ánemos “wind”; anima

Compare meaning

How does animus compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• anima vs. animus

Example Sentences

Some of the animus directed at Macaulay is based on things he really said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Either way, radicalism and animus replace knowledge and wisdom.

From The Wall Street Journal

"He has no apparent animus towards anyone or anything," said film and theatre director Mike Nichols, who directed the Broadway premiere of Stoppard's tale of marriage and affairs "The Real Thing".

From Barron's

Collins, the attorney for Grubb, said this wasn’t a case motivated by racial animus.

From The Wall Street Journal

I won’t quote the clips suddenly flooding social media, the apparent result of someone’s late and incompetent oppo research, of his saying things that betray to my ear an obvious animus.

From The Wall Street Journal