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
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Slang Meaning of Aura
Aura also is used to mean “stylishness” or “confident and suave excellence.” Learn more >
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
In this scenario, the most likely outcome would involve Punk pinning Seth Rollins, providing a decisive conclusion to their ongoing feud with a clear pinfall victory, while strategically preserving Roman Reigns' aura of dominance and mystique by avoiding a direct pinfall loss to Punk.
—
David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Apr. 2025
Like Napoleon’s Uncle Rico, who dwells on his long-ago high-school-football days, Garrett is living in the faded aura of past glory: in his case, a 1989 video-game championship.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2025
There is an aura of confidence in the answers, along with a cultural notion that machines can somehow work miracles and act perfectly.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
As if the architecture alone is not enough to book this listing, its status as the former home of French poet and screenwriter Jacques Prévert adds an aura of literary mystique.
—Tim Nelson, Architectural Digest, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for aura
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David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Apr. 2025
Like Napoleon’s Uncle Rico, who dwells on his long-ago high-school-football days, Garrett is living in the faded aura of past glory: in his case, a 1989 video-game championship.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2025
There is an aura of confidence in the answers, along with a cultural notion that machines can somehow work miracles and act perfectly.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
As if the architecture alone is not enough to book this listing, its status as the former home of French poet and screenwriter Jacques Prévert adds an aura of literary mystique.
—Tim Nelson, Architectural Digest, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for aura
Cite this Entry
“Aura.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aura. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
Natalie Angier, The New York TimesThe 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
Sid Gilman, The New England Journal of MedicineThe 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
Gary L. Westbrook, in Principles of Neural Science, 4th editionLove words? Need even more definitions?
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