aura

noun

au·​ra ˈȯr-ə 

1

a

: 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

• air
• ambience
• ambiance
• aroma
• atmosphere
• climate
• flavor
• halo
• karma
• mood
• nimbus
• note
• odor
• patina
• smell
• temper
• vibration(s)

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

Born into a family with a long history in statecraft and industry — relatives included the secretary of war for Thomas Jefferson and a founder of what became the oil giant Texaco — Mr. Lapham retained the aura of extreme privilege. —John Otis, Washington Post, 24 July 2024

For something reminiscent of Vienna’s homegrown bar culture, head to Salon Paradise, which is all about that exclusive underground club aura, complete with live music performances and a lineup of new-wave jazz artists. —Perri Ormont Blumberg, Travel + Leisure, 22 July 2024

Powers—to that point a respected fiction writer with a bent for science—attained the aura of an eco-prophet, and Playground (Norton), his vivid and ambitious new novel (his 14th), plunges beneath the waves and serves as another warning about and a love letter to the natural world. —Chloe Schama, Vogue, 18 July 2024

Playing off this aura and the current fatigue felt around comic book movies, one wonders if there’s any harm in crafting a superhero narrative around Nedoroscik. —Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 17 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1686, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Kids Definition

aura

noun

au·​ra ˈȯr-ə 

: a special quality or impression associated with something

an aura of mystery

Medical Definition

aura

noun

au·​ra ˈȯr-ə 

plural auras also aurae -ē 

: 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

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

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