animus

Etymology

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.

noun

1. The basic impulses and instincts which govern one's actions.
2. A feeling of enmity, animosity or ill will.
   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. April 22 2005, Christian Science Monitor
   However, the Republican party's anti-ESG animus has undoubtedly played a role, according to Bloy. 2023-04-29, Kenza Bryan, “US investors ditch green funds on ‘woke capitalism’ backlash”, in FT Weekend, page 14
3. (Jungian psychology) The masculine aspect of the feminine psyche or personality.
   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