aura

[awr-uh]

See more synonyms for aura on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural au·ras or for 3, au·rae

[awr-ee] /ˈɔr i/.

a distinctive and pervasive quality or character; air; atmosphere: an aura of respectability; an aura of friendliness.
a subtly pervasive quality or atmosphere seen as emanating from a person, place, or thing.
Pathology. a sensation, as of lights or a current of warm or cold air, preceding an attack of migraine or epilepsy.

Origin of aura

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin < Greek: breath (of air)

Aura

[awr-uh]

noun Classical Mythology.

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.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for aura

atmosphere, semblance, tone, mood, scent, aspect, ambience, feeling, quality, feel, appearance, suggestion, background, emanation

Examples from the Web for aura

Contemporary Examples of aura

Most of the Atari employees I saw projected an aura of almost delirious bliss.
‘Asteroids’ & The Dawn of the Gamer Age
David Owen
November 29, 2014
It gives them all aura, a collective power, an almost animal force.
War Is Hell and Such Good Fun
Don Gomez
November 11, 2014
He was, in fact, of average height, but he had an aura like a pope or a head of state.
Ben Bradlee Was the Last of the Newspaper Giants
Tom Shales
October 22, 2014
That decision provided an aura of authority that attracted new recruits and seemed to pay off in the short term.
Has ISIS Peaked as a Military Power?
Jacob Siegel
October 22, 2014
His aura was calm, and his being exuded a subtle spiritual magnetism.
When Gary Wright Met George Harrison: Dream Weaver, John and Yoko, and More
Gary Wright
September 29, 2014

Historical Examples of aura

"Lee—over there—" Aura's whispered words were drab with horror.
The World Beyond
Raymond King Cummings
Trembling, Lee stood up, with the mute, white-faced Aura clinging to him.
The World Beyond
Raymond King Cummings
He called back, "Aura—you stay where you are—you hide, until it's over—"
The World Beyond
Raymond King Cummings
Luckily it was Helen's aura, not mine, and she had to chaperone it and do the politenesses.
Howards End
E. M. Forster
When I talked about scrubbing my aura, I was only trying to be funny.
Howards End
E. M. Forster

British Dictionary definitions for aura

aura

noun plural auras or aurae (ˈɔːriː)

a distinctive air or quality considered to be characteristic of a person or thing
any invisible emanation, such as a scent or odour
pathol strange sensations, such as noises in the ears or flashes of light, that immediately precede an attack, esp of epilepsy
(in parapsychology) an invisible emanation produced by and surrounding a person or object: alleged to be discernible by individuals of supernormal sensibility

Word Origin for aura

C18: via Latin from Greek: breeze

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

Word Origin and History for aura

1870 in spiritualism, "subtle emanation around living beings;" earlier "characteristic impression" made by a personality (1859), earlier still "gentle breeze" (late 14c.), from Latin aura "breeze, wind, air," from Greek aura "breath, breeze," from PIE root *awer- (see air (n.1)).

aura in Medicine

aura

[ôr′ə]

n. pl. au•ras

A sensation, as of a cold breeze or a bright light, that precedes the onset of certain disorders, such as an epileptic seizure or an attack of migraine.