Animus Meaning
/ˈæ.nɪ.məs/Definition, CEFR level C2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounThe basic impulses and instincts which govern one's actions.
nounA feeling of enmity, animosity or ill will.
Sentence Examples
It was all done out of animus.
They're destroying the planet out of animus.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
His ____ toward the new policy was evident in his harsh criticism.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ is the inner male part of a woman's mind in psychology.
Word Origin & History
Learned borrowing from Latin animus (“the mind, in a great variety of meanings: the rational soul in man, intellect, consciousness, will, intention, courage, spirit, sensibility, feeling, passion, pride, vehemence, wrath, etc., the breath, life, soul”), from Proto-Italic *anamos, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁mos, from *h₂enh₁- (“to breathe”). Closely related to Latin anima, which is a feminine form.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The current row arose swiftly, sparked both by historical animus and jockeying over future power and place in Asia - and it surprised many observers in the depth of antipathy on both sides."
— 2005 April 22, Christian Science Monitor:
"However, the Republican party's anti-ESG animus has undoubtedly played a role, according to Bloy."
— 2023 April 29, Kenza Bryan, “US investors ditch green funds on ‘woke capitalism’ backlash”, in FT Weekend, London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 14:
"Despite the animus against him, Mélenchon came within an inch of making the presidential election run-off in 2022, just behind Le Pen."
— 2025 May 3, Leila Abboud, “Lunch with the FT: Jean-Luc Mélenchon”, in FT Weekend (Life & Arts section), London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 3:
"In the Jungian model of the psyche, the male has an internalized female counterpart, the anima; while the female has an internalized masculine counterpart, the animus."
— 1981, William Irwin Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light: Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture, London: Rider/Hutchinson & Co., page 31:
Explore More C2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
His ____ toward the new policy was evident in his harsh criticism.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ is the inner male part of a woman's mind in psychology.