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aura

1 American  
[awr-uh] / ˈɔr ə /

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 American  
[awr-uh] / ˈɔr ə /

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 British  
/ 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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of aura

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The lilting score behind Ted’s speech softly casts a gentle aura around him in contrast to his rowdy surroundings.

From Salon

I sat frozen, unsure what to do, enveloped in the sweaty aura of the man slumped on my shoulder, drooling out of the corner of his mouth.

From Literature

They can still use his aura to their advantage - but no longer to the same extent.

From BBC

Rostropovich exuded, in the Kennedy Center aura, the expression of an overwhelmingly triumphant celebration of the end of the Soviet repression.

From Los Angeles Times

Capri’s shares have lagged those of rivals such as Coach brand owner Tapestry as the companies compete to reach a broad market while retaining an aura of exclusivity.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.