Trending: ‘animus’

Lookups spiked 5,700% on June 16-17, 2019

Why are people looking up animus?

Searches for animus spiked on June 16-17, 2019, after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was asked by ABC News Chief White House correspondent Jon Karl, “So how real is that progressive frustration that Speaker Pelosi has said, at least so far — and she seems to be really holding the line — that she’s not ready to do that?”

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez responded:

“I think it’s quite real. I believe that there is a very real animus and desire to make sure that we are, that — that we are holding this president to account.”

What does animus mean?

Animus is used here as it would be in legal contexts, to mean "intention" or "disposition," a synonym of "intent."

Another common meaning of animus is "a strong feeling of dislike or hatred," a synonym of animosity.

Where does animus come from?

The Latin word animus meant "mind" or "soul," and it is also the root of animate.

What is notable about this use of animus?

Some commentary on Rep. Ocasio-Cortez's use of animus shows that its meaning isn't perfectly clear, and seems to suggest that it was interpreted as meaning "strong feeling of dislike" rather than "intent."

Trend Watch is a data-driven report on words people are looking up at much higher search rates than normal. While most trends can be traced back to the news or popular culture, our focus is on the lookup data rather than the events themselves.