animus
a·ni·mus/ˈæ.nɪ.məs/noun
animus is spelled A-N-I-M-U-S: 6 letters and 3 syllables (a·ni·mus). It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 41,660th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, animus means “The basic impulses and instincts which govern one's actions” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of animus is animuses.
How many letters and syllables are in animus?
| Letters | 6: A-N-I-M-U-S |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: a·ni·mus |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 41,660th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Sounds like |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is animus?
Animus appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 41,660th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce animus?
- /ˈæ.nɪ.məs/
Animus has 3 syllables, split a·ni·mus in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Words people confuse with animus
Sounds like: animous (Wiktionary's homophone list; some hold only in some accents).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of animus
- animuses plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does animus mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The basic impulses and instincts which govern one's actions.
- 2
A feeling of enmity, animosity or ill will.
- 3
Intention, motivation (of a legal person).
- 4
The masculine aspect of the feminine psyche or personality.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Animus in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | Unterbewusstsein , Feindseligkeit, Groll, Abneigung , Animus |
| Portuguese | ânimo , animus |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does animus come from?
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.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).