Charismatic

How to spell charismatic

11 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce charismatic

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does charismatic mean?

1. adjectiveHaving a compelling charm or magnetism that inspires devotion or attention in others.

Charismatic in a sentence

• The charismatic manager drew the whole team behind her plan within minutes.

• Voters were swayed by the candidate's charismatic stage presence.

Where does charismatic come from?

Language of origin: Greek

This word traces back to the Greek noun kharisma, meaning a 'favour' or 'gift freely given', which itself grew from kharis, the word for 'grace', 'charm', or 'goodwill'. The verb behind it, kharizesthai, meant 'to show favour' or 'to gratify'. Early Christian writers borrowed kharisma to describe a gift of grace bestowed by God, and that theological sense entered English through Latin and scholarly use. By the twentieth century the related noun 'charisma' had broadened to describe a compelling personal magnetism, and 'charismatic' became the adjective for someone radiating that appeal. A well known relative is 'Eucharist', which shares the same kharis root meaning 'thanksgiving' or 'grace'; remembering the 'char' opening and the single 's' helps keep the spelling on track.

How the word is built

• charis (Greek kharis: grace, favour)
• -mat- (noun-forming element from kharisma: gift)
• -ic (adjective suffix)