charisma

Charisma comes from Ancient Greek khárisma, meaning 'grace, favour, gift,' from the verb khárizomai ('to show favor'), rooted in kháris ('grace') and ultimately the same root as khaírō, 'to be happy.' It first appeared in English in 1875.

Originally a theological term, charisma took on a new life around 1930 when English borrowed the sense used by German sociologist Max Weber to describe a leader's special power to inspire devotion. By the 1940s and 50s, the word loosened further to mean simple personal charm.

Charisma is a doublet of charism, both descending from the same Greek word for grace or gift.