charismatic

American  

[kar-iz-mat-ik] / ˌkær ɪzˈmæt ɪk /

adjective

1. of, having, or characteristic of charisma.

   His military successes go hand in hand with his charismatic leadership.

2. (of a species, especially an endangered one) prone to popular appeal and widespread attention.

   The giant panda and humpback whale are among the charismatic megafauna that attract donors who contribute to environmental causes.

3. relating to, characterizing, or noting Christians of various denominations who seek an ecstatic religious experience, sometimes including speaking in tongues and instantaneous healing.

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noun

1. a Christian who seeks an ecstatic religious experience.

   For most charismatics, theology is inseparable from the Bible.

Usage

What does charismatic mean? Charismatic is used to describe people who have an outgoing, energetic, and likable personality that seems to naturally draw other people to them. Charismatic is the adjective form of the noun charisma, which refers to the magnetic and charming personal quality that draws people to someone. A person with charisma is thought to be able to easily influence others. Charismatic is most often used in a positive way as a compliment, but it can also be applied to people who influence others in a negative way, such as a charismatic cult leader. The word is also used in a more specific way to refer to Christians who pursue ecstatic or trancelike religious experiences (like speaking in tongues) that are outside of more mainstream beliefs. Example: People like a candidate who’s charismatic and can get them excited, not someone who just drones on about facts and figures.

Other Word Forms

• noncharismatic adjective
• uncharismatic adjective

Etymology

Origin of charismatic

First recorded in 1865–70; from Greek charismat-, stem of chárisma “grace, favor” + -ic English adjective suffix; see origin at charisma, -ic

Explanation

If all kinds of people are attracted to you, you are charismatic. Most great leaders in history have been charismatic, like John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. People who have powerful personalities that attract and fascinate other people are charismatic. Charismatic people are popular and beloved: they are full of charm and magnetism. Being charismatic is the opposite of being boring or dull. Often, the term is applied to people in politics, or to religious leaders, but there are charismatic people everywhere.

Example Sentences

Everyone in Hungary’s democratic resistance, regardless of ideology, united behind Péter Magyar, a charismatic candidate who only left Orbán’s nationalist party two years ago.

From Salon • Apr. 19, 2026

As a zillion people have pointed out, Auriemma and Staley are charismatic, self-made titans from the same neck of the woods, Philadelphia.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

The party appeared to overcome this controversy by joining hands with Shah, a charismatic politician around whom voters could rally, but who had no organised party structure to rely on.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

The late Prophet Clement and others like him are part of a growing and politically connected movement within charismatic and Pentecostal Christianity called the New Apostolic Reformation.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

I met the Franks, the stubborn, charismatic father-and-son team who then more or less ran the tribe, in a cluttered office that in my recollection occupied half of a double- wide trailer.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Related Words

• appealing