charisma

Meaning

1. (uncountable, usually) A gift or power of leadership or authority.
2. (uncountable, usually) A gift or power of leadership or authority.
3. (uncountable, usually) A gift or power bestowed upon a person by the Holy Spirit; a grace.

Synonyms

charm

personal magnetism

personal appeal

gift

🎁

importance

magnetism

attitude

miracle

mystique

nature

priority

talent

majesty

aura

complex

grandeur

Translations

charisme

carisma

Charisma

charisma

Ausstrahlung

karizma

pegue

ihsan

charme

Pronounced as (IPA)

/kəˈɹɪzmə/

Etymology

From Ancient Greek χᾰ́ρῐσμᾰ (khắrĭsmă, “grace, favour, gift”), from χᾰρῐ́ζομαι (khărĭ́zomai, “I show favor”), from χᾰ́ρῐς (khắrĭs, “grace”), from χαίρω (khaírō, “I am happy”). Doublet of charism. First attested in 1875.
Outside of theology, as early as 1930, charisma was found in a translation of a book written by German sociologist Max Weber, which OED and Etymonline regards as a semantic loan from German Charisma, denoting the special ability of certain leaders to inspire devotion (sense 1). By the 1940s and more clearly in the 1950s, the term was used more loosely to refer to personal charm in general (sense 1.1).