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.

---

noun

charismatics plural

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

Derived Forms

• noncharismatic
  adjective
• uncharismatic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• charismatics
  plural

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

See Examples For:

charismatic charismatics

From The Long Walk, where he's such a sort of charming and charismatic character, to Rye Lane, where there's a sort of emotional vulnerability to the character.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

Not since Cary Grant in “To Catch a Thief” has there been a more charismatic and lovable “villain,” not to mention some pretty great heists.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026

New York City’s charismatic mayor, Zohran Mamdani, won his election as a DSA member in 2025 and has since marshaled political support for fellow progressives running for other offices in the city he runs.

From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026

Venice festival director Alberto Barbera called Clooney "a complete and charismatic artist, impassioned and original".

From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026

Malcolm was a charismatic leader, tall and lean, articulate, good-looking, possessing obvious physical courage, a warm and ready sense of humor, and immense faith in his mission.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

These charismatics have been around so long that the things people used to find grating about them are now charming.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026

A year after he was elected, Francis once knelt and was blessed by a gathering of thousands of Catholic charismatics, all speaking in tongues.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 7, 2020

In “Revelator,” emblems of American loss and catastrophe—Elvis’s death and John Henry’s, Lincoln’s assassination, the sinking of the Titanic, the Okies’ flight from the Dust Bowl—are braided with close observation of contemporary derelicts and charismatics.

From The New Yorker ● Sep. 9, 2016

Chatty charismatics, as bright and blunt as they are self-obsessed, the Pfeffermans are like amnesiac spiders—drawing interesting and substantial people into their web and then leaving them stuck in Pfefferman gossamer, abandoned for shinier prey.

From Slate ● Dec. 1, 2015

The pope has attended gatherings of Catholic charismatics, and last month he urged churches to open their doors to the movement.

From New York Times ● Jul. 9, 2015

Related Words

• appealing