charisma

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^[1] 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).

• IPA^(key): /kəˈɹɪzmə/

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charisma (usually uncountable, plural charismas or charismata)

2. A gift or power of leadership or authority. [from 1930]

   The leader has his charisma.

   2. The capacity to inspire devotion or enthusiasm; personal charm. [from 1959]

      the charisma of a popular actor

3. (Christianity, theology) A gift or power bestowed upon a person by the Holy Spirit; a grace. [from 1875]

   Synonym: charism

• charm, spell

• “charisma, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.

• “charisma”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.

• archaism, machairs

Borrowed from Ancient Greek χᾰ́ρῐσμᾰ (khắrĭsmă).

• IPA^(key): /ˌxaːˈrɪs.maː/

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• Hyphenation: cha‧ris‧ma
• Rhymes: -ɪsmaː

charisma n (plural charisma's or charismata)

1. (Christianity) charisma (gift of the Holy Spirit)

   Synonym: genadegave

2. charisma (personal affability)

• charismaticus
• charismatisch

From Ancient Greek χᾰ́ρῐσμᾰ (khắrĭsmă, “grace, favour, gift”).

charisma n (genitive charismatis); third declension

1. gift, present, favor
2. spiritual gift, gift of God, God-given grace

Third-declension noun (neuter, imparisyllabic non-i-stem).

• “charisma”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• charisma in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• R. E. Latham, D. R. Howlett, & R. K. Ashdowne, editors (1975–2013), “charisma”, in Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources‎^[1], London: Oxford University Press for the British Academy, →ISBN, →OCLC