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Synonyms

aura

1 American  
[awr-uh] / ˈɔr ə /

noun

plural

auras, aurae

  1. a distinctive and pervasive quality or character; air; atmosphere.

    an aura of respectability;

    an aura of friendliness.

  2. a subtly pervasive quality or atmosphere seen as emanating from a person, place, or thing.

  3. 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.

  1. a companion of Artemis who bore twins to Dionysus. Zeus changed her into a spring because, in a fit of madness, she had killed one of her children.

aura British  
/ ˈɔːrə /

noun

  1. a distinctive air or quality considered to be characteristic of a person or thing

  2. any invisible emanation, such as a scent or odour

  3. pathol strange sensations, such as noises in the ears or flashes of light, that immediately precede an attack, esp of epilepsy

  4. (in parapsychology) an invisible emanation produced by and surrounding a person or object: alleged to be discernible by individuals of supernormal sensibility

"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 aura

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin, from Greek: “breath (of air)”

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.

"He had aura, the Pope had aura," says Harry Clark on meeting the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Leo XIV.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

Dubai’s entire economy has historically rested on an aura of safety—the promise that investors, businesses and tourists can operate freely because the Gulf remains a stable sanctuary.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

In Guillermo Cienfuegos’ enlivening, if at times unsteady, production at A Noise Within, the role is played by Ann Noble, who forgoes the outdated hunchback but adopts a seething, slithering, perversely seductive aura of menace.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2026

The State of the Union is a moment when the president can project the exact aura he wants on a grand stage.

From Slate • Feb. 24, 2026

“Just the aura, then. You’ll probably see it again sometime. Did you like the other book? The one about the Silk Road?”

From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman

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.