What does animus mean?
Animus is a noun denoting a settled feeling of hostility, ill will, or antagonism — the hostile spirit that lies behind a person's words or actions. It is most often encountered in formal contexts such as journalism, law, and political commentary, where writers allege that a criticism, decision, or accusation stems from personal animus rather than impartial judgment. The word carries strongly negative connotations and implies more than momentary anger: it suggests a persistent, motivating resentment. In a wholly different domain, Carl Jung used 'animus' in his analytical psychology to describe the masculine aspect of a woman's unconscious mind, counterpart to the 'anima' in men. Derived from the Latin word for mind, soul, or spirit, animus is a precise and useful term whenever one wishes to name not just conflict but the underlying hostile intent driving it.
nounA feeling of hostility, ill will, or strong animosity toward someone or something; in Jungian psychology, the masculine aspect of a woman's psyche.
- A feeling of hostility, ill will, or deep-seated animosity that motivates a person's actions or words.
- In Jungian psychology: the masculine inner personality present in a woman's unconscious.
"Her speech was marked by an unmistakable animus toward her former business partners."
"The judge dismissed the complaint as the product of personal animus rather than genuine grievance."
"Jung argued that a woman's dreams often reveal the animus, the masculine principle within her psyche."
Rarely pluralized; the singular is almost always used even when referring to multiple people's hostilities.
"The rival factions brought their own animuses to the negotiation."
The same Latin word that gives us 'animated' also names the hidden grudge driving a critic's harshest review — and in Jungian psychology it describes the masculine side of every woman's unconscious mind.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of animus
Animus comes directly from the Latin noun animus, meaning mind, intellect, soul, or spirit — related to anima (breath, soul) and ultimately to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning breath or life force. English adopted the word in the early seventeenth century, initially in the general sense of spirit or temper, before it narrowed toward its modern dominant meaning of hostile intent. Cognates sharing the same Latin root include animal, animate, unanimous, and magnanimous.
How animus is actually used
Formal register; common in legal and journalistic writing to describe suspected bias or hostile motive. The Jungian sense is capitalized in psychological literature.
Easily confused with animus
Animosity is a broader term for intense hostility, while animus often denotes a specific motivating spirit of ill will behind an action.
In Jungian psychology, anima is the feminine aspect of a man's psyche, whereas animus is the corresponding masculine aspect of a woman's psyche.