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charisma - 5 dictionary results

cha⋅ris⋅ma

[kuh-riz-muh]
–noun, plural -ma⋅ta [-muh-tuh] .
1. Theology. a divinely conferred gift or power.
2. a spiritual power or personal quality that gives an individual influence or authority over large numbers of people.
3. the special virtue of an office, function, position, etc., that confers or is thought to confer on the person holding it an unusual ability for leadership, worthiness of veneration, or the like.
Also, char⋅ism [kar-iz-uhm] .


Origin:
1635–45; < LL < Gk, equiv. to char- (base of cháris favor, charízesthai to favor; akin to yearn, exhort ) + -isma -ism


2. charm, magnetism, presence.
cha·ris·ma   (kə-rĭz'mə)   
n.   pl. cha·ris·ma·ta (-mə-tə)
    1. A rare personal quality attributed to leaders who arouse fervent popular devotion and enthusiasm.
    2. Personal magnetism or charm: a television news program famed for the charisma of its anchors.
  1. Christianity An extraordinary power, such as the ability to perform miracles, granted by the Holy Spirit.

[Greek kharisma, divine favor, from kharizesthai, to favor, from kharis, favor; see gher-2 in Indo-European roots.]

charisma [(kuh-riz-muh)]

Extraordinary power and appeal of personality; natural ability to inspire a large following.

Note: Political leaders such as John F. Kennedy, religious leaders such as Martin Luther King, Jr., and entertainment figures such as Greta Garbo have all been described as charismatic.

charisma 
c.1930, from Ger., used by Max Weber (1864-1920) in "Wirtschaft u. Gesellschaft" (1922) for "gift or power of leadership or authority," from Gk. kharisma "favor, divine gift," from kharizesthai "to show favor to," from charis "grace, beauty, kindness," related to chairein "to rejoice at," from PIE base *gher- "to desire, like." More mundane sense of "personal charm" first recorded 1959. Charismatic (1970) Christian movement, which believes in divine gifts of healing, etc., reflects the older sense of the word (which was in Eng. as charism, pl. charismata, since c.1641).

charisma

attribute of astonishing power and capacity ascribed to the person and personality of extraordinarily magnetic leaders. Such leaders may be political and secular as well as religious. They challenge the traditional order, for either good or ill.

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