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Synonyms

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.

Too much of the Islamic Republic’s aura has already been compromised.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

Each piece in the Beverly Hills gallery, illuminated by an arched spotlight and flanked by a label chronicling its history, carried the aura of a Renaissance painting.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2026

It is unlikely Harry Brook will ever have the poise of Strauss or the aura of Stokes.

From BBC • Feb. 24, 2026

The State of the Union is a moment when the president can project the exact aura he wants on a grand stage.

From Slate • Feb. 24, 2026

“If you spent that many years on your own, without training or help, you should be dead. A son of Neptune? You’d have a powerful aura that would attract all kinds of monsters.”

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan

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.