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.
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
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin, from Greek: “breath (of air)”
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.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Now both pillars that held the system together - state power and Banerjee's aura of invincibility - have weakened.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
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
A 2022 Times investigation detailed how Bloom ingratiated himself with regulars at the Frolic Room bar and residents of the Villa Carlotta apartment complex in Hollywood by projecting an aura of wealth and status.
From Los Angeles Times • 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
Just as Olmsted sought to conjure an aura of mystery in his landscape, so here he urged the engineering of seemingly accidental moments of charm.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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.
