charismatic

1 of 2

adjective

char·​is·​mat·​ic ˌker-əz-ˈma-tik How to pronounce charismatic (audio)
ˌka-rəz-
1
: having, exhibiting, or based on charisma or charism
charismatic sects
a charismatic leader
2
: of, relating to, or constituting charisma or charism
charismatic gifts

charismatic

2 of 2

noun

plural charismatics
1
: a member of a religious group or movement that stresses the seeking of direct divine inspiration and charisms (such as glossolalia or healing)
2
: a person who possesses special traits that attract, inspire, or fascinate other people : a person possessing charisma
One of those people like Teddy Roosevelt or Mick Jagger. He was just one of those great charismatics who turned heads and dominated a room.Dan Aykroyd

Examples of charismatic in a Sentence

Adjective He is a charismatic leader. the cult's charismatic leader had managed to persuade seemingly rational people to obey him blindly
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The noise adds to the drama, as much psychological as physical, in a way no other road car can match, making for a dangerously charismatic split personality worth every one of its seven figures. Sean Evans, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2024 Problem is, Waller will be a very cool heel and people will be on his side throughout this feud against the less charismatic Theory. Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Fortunately, the real Stevenson was charming and charismatic enough to keep finding himself at the center of one ambitious Hollywood production after another. Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 24 Feb. 2024 Qualley and Viswanathan are fantastically committed and charismatic, with Qualley demonstrating a capacity for broad comedy. Katie Walsh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2024 Qualley and Viswanathan are fantastically committed and charismatic, with the former demonstrating a capacity for broad comedy. Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2024 In private, Mayorkas—who is short, fit, and bald, with bushy eyebrows and a cadet’s ramrod posture—is ironic, sharp-witted, and charismatic, a raconteur who leaps out of his seat to exaggerate a detail or deliver a punch line. Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2024 When another charismatic Russian opposition figure, Boris Nemtsov, was shot dead on a bridge near the Kremlin in 2015, his body was laid in an open coffin in the Sakharov Center — named after the late Soviet-era dissident and Nobel peace laureate, Andrei Sakharov — where supporters paid tribute. Robyn Dixon, Washington Post, 23 Feb. 2024 While there’s an initial kick in seeing the charismatic stars reunited, the life quickly drains from that promise, again resembling a franchise that simply doesn’t know when to quit. Brian Lowry, CNN, 23 Feb. 2024
Noun
By then, says Taylor, there were hundreds of prophecies circulating among independent charismatics, all aligning with Trump and predicting his reelection as God’s will. Dan Rodricks, Baltimore Sun, 23 Jan. 2024 Matt Taylor, on the other hand, patrols the whirlpool of televangelists, charismatics and Pentecostals in an effort to learn why so many of them carried their devotion to Trump to the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Dan Rodricks, Baltimore Sun, 23 Jan. 2024 Netherland's charismatic, Trinidadian take on Jay Gatsby, for the sweet and haunted narrator, Hans van den Broek, and for O'Neill's long and elegant opera gloves of sentences. The Week Staff, The Week, 21 Nov. 2022 The charismatic Jeffrey Kringer, as the stoker Barrett, and Cooper Grodin, as the ship's designer Andrews, are both upgrades on their predecessors. Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 26 Sep. 2022 And on Tuesday, the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project and its charismatic and polarizing leader, Kathy Abbass, brought reporters out onto the water for a look at that ongoing work. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 19 July 2022 There’s indeed more to this charismatic and self-possessed high school senior, played by the magnetic Eva Reign. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 July 2022 A decade ago, China’s leading man was a charismatic, America-loving tutor who gets Chinese kids into Ivy League schools. Yi-Ling Liu, The New Yorker, 16 May 2022 Pop Smoke was a gnomic figure with a rich, booming voice; Fivio is less enigmatic but more entertaining, a charismatic and sometimes witty host who wants to keep everyone happy. Kelefa Sanneh, The New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'charismatic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

charisma

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1868, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1881, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of charismatic was circa 1868

Dictionary Entries Near charismatic

Cite this Entry

“Charismatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/charismatic. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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