What does aura mean?
An aura is a distinctive atmosphere or quality — often intangible but unmistakably felt — that surrounds a person, place, or thing. We speak of someone having an aura of confidence, mystery, or authority, meaning they project a presence that others sense without being able to point to anything specific. The word also has a spiritual sense, referring to a luminous emanation believed by some traditions to surround living beings, and a medical one, describing the sensory disturbances such as flashes of light or strange smells that can precede a migraine or epileptic seizure. Derived ultimately from the Greek word for a breeze, aura entered English in the early seventeenth century and has since become a versatile way to describe presence and atmosphere. It is most common in descriptive and journalistic writing, lending itself to vivid characterizations of both people and places.
A distinctive atmosphere or intangible quality surrounding a person, place, or thing.
"The abandoned mansion retained an aura of faded grandeur despite decades of neglect."
Frequently used with the preposition "of" followed by an abstract noun, as in "aura of mystery" or "aura of success."
A sensory phenomenon, such as flashing lights or unusual smells, that serves as a warning sign immediately before a migraine headache or epileptic seizure.
"Her migraines were always preceded by an aura of shimmering zigzag lines across her vision."
Used chiefly in medical and clinical contexts.
An emanation said to surround the body of a living being, believed in some spiritual traditions to reveal their emotional or spiritual state.
"The healer claimed she could read each client's aura and identify blocked energy."
Associated with New Age, occult, and parapsychological discourse; not accepted as scientific.
The standard plural is "auras." The Latinized form "aurae" occasionally appears in scholarly or pseudo-classical writing but is far less common.
"The gallery's portraits all seemed to have golden auras painted behind their subjects' heads."
In Greek, "aura" originally meant a gentle breeze — centuries later it became the invisible force fields people claim to photograph, and the eerie warning light some migraine sufferers see before the pain hits.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of aura
Aura comes from the Greek word aura, meaning a breeze or breath of air, which passed into Latin with the same sense before entering English in the early seventeenth century as a term for a subtle vapor or exhalation. Over time its meaning broadened from physical air to figurative atmosphere, and in the nineteenth century physicians applied it to the premonitory sensations preceding seizures. Its distant relative aurora, the Latin word for dawn, shares an even older root connected to light and air.
How aura is actually used
The word carries broadly positive or neutral connotations when describing personal magnetism or atmosphere, though phrases like "an aura of sadness" show it can shade negative. The spiritual sense (a colored field surrounding the body) belongs to New Age and esoteric contexts rather than mainstream usage. The plural is "auras"; the Latin-style "aurae" also appears but is less common.
Easily confused with aura
"Aural" means relating to the ear or the sense of hearing, whereas "aura" refers to an atmosphere, emanation, or pre-seizure sensation.