ENGLISH
REFERENCE

anima

n. uncountable
C2 Proficiency UK //ˈænɪmɐ// an·i·ma

n. the inner female side of a man's personality. It represents the feminine qualities that every man has, like caring and intuition.

n. the feminine aspect of the unconscious in a man, representing the unconscious feminine qualities of the psyche. Often contrasted with the animus, which represents the masculine side of a woman's psyche.


SIMPLE

The therapist helped him understand his anima.

CONTEXTUAL

In Jungian psychology, the anima is seen as the archetype that allows a man to connect with his emotional and intuitive side.

COMPLEX

The protagonist's journey through the forest serves as a metaphor for the integration of his anima, allowing him to reconcile his previously rigid, rational worldview with a more holistic understanding of human nature.

Origin

Borrowed from Latin anima (“a current of air, wind, air, breath, the vital principle, life, soul”), sometimes equivalent to animus (“mind”), both from Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁- (“to breathe, blow”); see animus. Cognate with Ancient Greek ἄνεμος (ánemos, “wind”), Old English anda (“anger, envy, zeal”). More at onde.

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