aura
noun
a distinctive and pervasive quality or character; air; atmosphere.
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aura
1 American
[awr-uh]
/ ˈɔr ə /
noun
auras,
plural
aurae
plural
-
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.
Aura
2
American
[awr-uh]
/ ˈɔr ə /
noun
Classical Mythology.
aura
British
/ ˈɔːrə /
noun
-
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
Etymology
Origin of aura
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin, from Greek: “breath (of air)”
Explanation
You know that intangible glow, that certain magical something that your mom gives off? Get your glasses fixed and you'll see the aura emanating from her head isn't her special powers — just your bad eyes. You may have heard the noun aura used to describe the atmosphere surrounding something magical, like a fairy, or around a living being, like the calm vibes emanating from a meditating yogi. But did you know that it can refer to the sensation — one of coolness or bright light — that’s experienced before the onset of a seizure or migraine? Aura can also apply to the force that some people believe radiates from living organisms as an indicator of their unique essence.
Vocabulary lists containing aura
Matilda
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A Long Way Gone
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Scrabble: Four-Letter Words with 3 Vowels
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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.
I am not asking you to become a full-time coupon strategist with a three-ring binder and a minor reality television aura.
From Salon • May 22, 2026
“It had an aura of roadside diner about it. … Everybody would see the giant penguin out there. I don’t think Burgess Meredith ever ate there, though.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026
"He offers a sense of fun, confidence and an aura of competence rooted in individuality and that gives him a different kind of power."
From BBC • May 5, 2026
The library’s gravitas suggests the singular aura of the club’s annual invitational tournament, the Masters.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026
He was to be given a completely fake identity, and they were trusting to the malevolent aura cast by Bellatrix to protect him.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
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.
