Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

charisma

 - 5 dictionary results
Charisma
Receive free shipping at any price now at NeimanMarcus.com.
www.NeimanMarcus.com
Charisma Bed & Bath
Shop The Company Store for Charisma Quilts, Sheets, Blankets & Towels
www.TheCompanyStore.com

cha⋅ris⋅ma

  [kuh-riz-muh]
Use charisma in a Sentence
–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

Synonyms:
2. charm, magnetism, presence.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To charisma
Charisma
Receive free shipping at any price now at NeimanMarcus.com.
www.NeimanMarcus.com
Charisma Bed & Bath
Shop The Company Store for Charisma Quilts, Sheets, Blankets & Towels
www.TheCompanyStore.com
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.

  2. 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.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Cultural Dictionary

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.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

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).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Encyclopedia

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.

Learn more about charisma with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see charisma on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way