aura

¹

[awr-uh]

noun

plural

auras, aurae 

1. a distinctive and pervasive quality or character; air; atmosphere.

   an aura of respectability;

   an aura of friendliness.

2. a subtly pervasive quality or atmosphere seen as emanating from a person, place, or thing.

3. Pathology.,  a sensation, as of lights or a current of warm or cold air, preceding an attack of migraine or epilepsy.

Aura

²

[awr-uh]

noun

Classical Mythology.

1. a companion of Artemis who bore twins to Dionysus. Zeus changed her into a spring because, in a fit of madness, she had killed one of her children.

aura

/ ˈɔːrə /

noun

1. a distinctive air or quality considered to be characteristic of a person or thing

2. any invisible emanation, such as a scent or odour

3. pathol strange sensations, such as noises in the ears or flashes of light, that immediately precede an attack, esp of epilepsy

4. (in parapsychology) an invisible emanation produced by and surrounding a person or object: alleged to be discernible by individuals of supernormal sensibility

Word History and Origins

Origin of aura¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin, from Greek: “breath (of air)”

Word History and Origins

Origin of aura¹

C18: via Latin from Greek: breeze

Example Sentences

For many, swag gaps go far beyond appearance and fashion - and instead encompass differences in success, fame, confidence "or just energetic aura in general".

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"But he just had an aura about him and a look in his eye. This was his stage."

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"There was always a mystery because he didn't reveal anything. He's got an aura about him," she said.

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Liverpool's flawless start to the defence of their Premier League crown is now being aided by an aura from another age.

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More than anything else, they just wanted to bathe in his aura for a moment.

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Related Words

• ambience 
• aspect 
• atmosphere 
• feeling 
• mood 
• quality 
• scent 
• semblance 
• tone