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halo effect

American  

noun

  1. a predisposition to admire all of a person's actions, work, etc., because of an estimable quality or action in the past.

  2. Psychology. a potential inaccuracy in observation, as of a person, due to overgeneralization from a limited amount of evidence or the influence of preconceived beliefs or a priori hypotheses.

    The assumption that he is an authority on the subject is a halo effect of his Ivy League manner.

  3. any desirable side effect.


halo effect British  

noun

  1. See horns and halo effect

  2. the beneficial effect on sales of a company's range of products produced by the popularity or high profile of one particular product

"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 halo effect

First recorded in 1925–30

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.

See Examples For:

And if growing excitement doesn’t qualify as an investment, investors should at least know who could be affected by the SpaceX halo effect.

From Barron's May 28, 2026

Rising gold prices may also be having a halo effect on jewelry.

From The Wall Street Journal Nov. 28, 2025

“That level of care is what will create a halo effect for our entire brand.”

From MarketWatch Nov. 5, 2025

He said the platform had a "positive impact on the high street at large" as a "halo effect" often touched businesses who found that products trending on TikTok then became popular in high street stores.

From BBC Feb. 21, 2025

Whenever that halo effect happened, I wanted to stare at her until the sunlight stopped, but my heart stopped before the light did.

From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg

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