numinous

adjective

nu·mi·nous ˈnü-mə-nəs

ˈnyü-

Synonyms of numinous next

: supernatural, mysterious

: filled with a sense of the presence of divinity : holy

: appealing to the higher emotions or to the aesthetic sense : spiritual

numinousness

ˈnü-mə-nəs-nəs

ˈnyü-

noun

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Numinous and Supernatural

Numinous is from the Latin word numen, meaning "nod of the head" or "divine will" (the latter sense suggesting a figurative nod, of assent or of command, of the divine head). English speakers have been using numen for centuries with the meaning "a spiritual force or influence." The meanings of the adjective include "supernatural" or "mysterious" (as in "possessed of a numinous energy force"), "holy" ("the numinous atmosphere of the catacombs"), and "appealing to the aesthetic sense" ("the numinous nuances of her art"). There are also the nouns numinousness and numinosity, although these are rare.

Examples of numinous in a Sentence

Her poetry is filled with a numinous beauty. some have sensed a numinous energy in the landscape around Sedona, Arizona

Recent Examples on the Web Like Dyer’s, Emily Dickinson’s mind to her a kingdom was: an unbounded place of observation and synthesis, a numinous space illuminated by mysteries of matter and spirit alike. —

Heather Wilhelm, National Review, 25 July 2024 Pisces is ruled by numinous Neptune, which is why they’re often described as ethereal and out of this world. —

Valerie Mesa, Peoplemag, 18 May 2024 And Gush Emunim’s numinous views have morphed into something arguably darker than mere theocracy—views comprehensively documented by Yair Nehorai, a civil-rights attorney, in his 2022 book The Third Revolution (available only in Hebrew). —

Jordan Castro, Harper's Magazine, 9 Jan. 2024 Among the drawings encountered just after Chocolate Room is Unidentified Hit Record, where a black vinyl LP hovers like a six-track mandala amid a numinous light show. —

Susan Tallman, The New York Review of Books, 2 Nov. 2023 See all Example Sentences for numinous

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'numinous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.