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aura

noun
au·​ra | \ ˈȯr-É™ How to pronounce aura (audio) \

Definition of aura

1a : a distinctive atmosphere surrounding a given source The place had an aura of mystery.
b : a subtle sensory stimulus (such as an aroma)
2 medical : a subjective (see subjective entry 1 sense 4b) sensation (as of voices, colored lights, or crawling and numbness) experienced at the onset of a neurological condition and especially a migraine or epileptic seizure
3 : an energy field that is held to emanate from a living being
4 : a luminous radiation : nimbus
Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about aura

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Examples of aura in a Sentence

the monastery perched high on a mountaintop had an aura of unreality and mystery about it alternative medical treatments that rely on the practitioner's ability to detect a patient's aura

Recent Examples on the Web

 Williams has never been bigger, but during the finals matches her aura had seemed diminished. — Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, "In Her U.S. Open Victory, Bianca Andreescu Shows the Swagger That Serena Williams Brought to Women’s Tennis," 8 Sep. 2019 Gardening, riding, tea time, and playing dress up are elements that are wrapped up in its aura. — Vogue, "Inspired by Vita & Virginia, 5 Takes on English Country Style," 22 Aug. 2019 From the opening bars, Lee had the measure of the work’s heart-on-the-sleeve Romanticism and its wonderful aura of nostalgia, enhanced by the prominent part for piano, sensitively played by Principal Keyboardist Joela Jones. — cleveland.com, "Familiar works enjoy new life on revelatory night with Cleveland Orchestra," 12 Aug. 2019 Although blurred under the fog of her New Age aura, Williamson’s message carries a ring of timeless truth and is a forceful contender amid limp Democratic rhetoric. — Kayla Bartsch, National Review, "Marianne Williamson Offers Priestly Wisdom for a Nation Adrift — Seriously," 12 Aug. 2019 The 37-year-old Federer may well be the best men's player of all time with a record 20 grand slam victories (and 10 runner-up spots), but his aura and popularity add up to far more than the sum of his titles. — Ravi Ubha, CNN, "Roger Federer: The power and presence of the $120 million man," 27 June 2019 Barlow creates an aura of intimacy around the scenes which makes watching any number of them feel like an invasive act. — Washington Post, "‘Telling Lies’: One of the most brilliant video games of the year," 23 Aug. 2019 At the start of his Overstock days, Mr. Byrne cast an aura as a model dot-com entrepreneur. — Cade Metz, New York Times, "Patrick Byrne, Overstock C.E.O., Resigns After Disclosing Romance With Russian Agent," 22 Aug. 2019 Despite being a major power player in South Korea’s music scene, Lee is soft spoken and exudes an aura of calmness atypical of the frenzied K-pop world. — Tamar Herman, Billboard, "SM Entertainment A&R Chris Lee Talks 'Cultural Technology' & Creating K-Pop Hits," 5 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'aura.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of aura

1686, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

History and Etymology for aura

Middle English, from Latin, puff of air, breeze, from Greek; probably akin to Greek aēr air

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More Definitions for aura

aura

noun
How to pronounce aura (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of aura

: a special quality or feeling that seems to come from a person, place, or thing

See the full definition for aura in the English Language Learners Dictionary

aura

noun
au·​ra | \ ˈȯr-É™ How to pronounce aura (audio) \

Kids Definition of aura

: a feeling that seems to be given off by a person or thing There is an aura of mystery about the house.

aura

noun
au·​ra | \ ˈȯr-É™ How to pronounce aura (audio) \
plural auras also aurae\ -​Ä“ How to pronounce aurae (audio) \

Medical Definition of aura

: a subjective sensation (as of voices or colored lights or crawling and numbness) experienced at the onset of a neurological condition and especially a migraine or epileptic seizure About 20 percent of migraine sufferers experience an aura as the first symptom of an attack. The aura may be a pulsing star of light, or a dance of geometric forms across the visual field, sometimes turning into hallucinations …— Natalie Angier, The New York Times, 14 Sept. 1993 The migraine aura, which consists of episodes of well-defined, transient, focal neurologic dysfunction, develops over the course of more than 4 minutes and usually lasts no more than 60 minutes.— Sid Gilman, The New England Journal of Medicine, 11 June 1992 The aura is due to electrical activity originating from the seizure focus and thus represents the earliest manifestations of a partial seizure. — Gary L. Westbrook, in Principles of Neural Science, 4th edition, 2000

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More from Merriam-Webster on aura

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with aura

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for aura

Spanish Central: Translation of aura

Nglish: Translation of aura for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of aura for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about aura

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