“An Air Of” Something – Meaning Explained (Helpful Examples)

Very often in conversations, people will say that someone or something has “an air of “ something. This is the sort of expression that, if you hear without any more context, you might be confused, especially with its variable nature. This article will explain exactly what it means.

What Does “An Air Of” Something Mean?

“An air of” is an expression used to express that someone or something has an aura about them that is reminiscent of something else. It’s an expression that brings to mind mystique and feelings that someone or something might convey, though never in a concrete way.

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, if something has “an air of” a thing, it means that it has the “manner or appearance” of that thing.

This means that “an air of” is a great expression to use when you want to convey the feeling something has associated with it. You use “an air of” to bring that feeling to mind.

What Does “A Certain Air Of” Mean?

“A certain air of” is an expression that you can use to convey the fact that something has a very specific feeling or mood associated with it. When you say “a certain air of”, you’re implying that the feeling that is associated with the thing is very specific in nature.

Therefore, using “a certain air of” implies that you’re being more precise with your description when compared with “an air of” something.

The use of the word “certain” implies precision, exactitude, and makes this expression a very particularly useful one for situations that call for lots of specificity.

How to Use “An Air Of” in a Sentence

Using “an air of” in a sentence is really easy. You simply say that something, an object, a person, or something else, has “an air of” and then say a feeling, a mood, or a sensation that fits the object in question.

Here are a few example sentences that will show you how to properly use “an air of” in a sentence:

1. When I met him, I thought he had an air of elegance, like he was a very wealthy man.
2. She thought that he had an air of superiority, as if he was doing her a favor by talking to her.
3. The place we went to had an air of disrepair, like it had been abandoned for several months already.
4. An air of uncertainty permeated the college campus as we all waited for our exam results.
5. It’s interesting to think that even back then, I thought he had an air of weariness and exhaustion.
6. When you realize that she had an air of confidence, everything makes sense.
7. I thought it had an air of mystery at the time, though the truth was far from mysterious.
8. The house had an air of importance around it, like I was standing in an impactful place.
9. He stepped in with an air of authority, immediately indicating that he was our superior.
10. The producer had an air of friendliness, and he cheerfully greeted us from his station.

What Variation Of “An Air Of” Is The Most Popular?

According to data compiled by the Google Ngram Viewer, out of “an air of mystery”, “an air of superiority” and “an air of confidence”, the most popular alternative is “an air of mystery” by a decently-sized lead.

The information displayed by the chart is fascinating, because it shows that from the year 1800 to the year 1826, the three variations were constantly alternating which one was the most popular.

However, after 1826, they stabilized, and “an air of mystery” became the most popular alternative, which it still is to this day. Since 1826, none of the other two phrases surpassed “an air of mystery”.

For a brief moment in 2013, it seemed like a given that “an air of confidence” was gonna surpass “an air of mystery”, though this ended up not happening at all.

“An Air Of” – Synonyms

Though “an air of something” is a great expression when you want to call attention to the mood and feeling of a specific thing, it’s not the only expression that can accomplish this. Here are some synonyms that you can also freely employ:

• A sense of
• A mood of
• The appearance of
• The feeling of
• The manner of