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

One day, if everything goes to plan, Vaibhav Suryavanshi will have the same aura. —Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2024

While florals are typically associated with warmer weather, winter florals imbue a sweet, fresh, and invigorating aura, often grounded by subtle woody notes. —Michael Stefanov, Robb Report, 26 Nov. 2024

There is a growing electricity and aura to this team that is contagious, and businesses are catching on. —Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 22 Nov. 2024

Given that The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is based on a series of children’s books written by devout Anglican C. S. Lewis, James Cosmo’s Father Christmas is unsurprisingly the Santa figure on this list who retains the most Christian aura. —Katie Rife, Vulture, 16 Nov. 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