1. A feeling or display of enmity, ill will, or hostility: Jillian felt an animus against those who refused to accept her application for the job.

Gerald was satisfied with his first year on the job; however, after he was moved to a new department, he developed a real animus towards his supervisor.

2. An attitude, basic impulse, or feeling that motivates a person’s actions: Roy had an animus that persisted as he strived to pursue his vocational objectives.

Although animus still contains some of the original idea of the soul as a driving force, the more common interpretation is usually the sense of ill-will or dislike.

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