Definition of numinous
1 : supernatural, mysterious
2 : filled with a sense of the presence of divinity : holy
3 : appealing to the higher emotions or to the aesthetic sense : spiritual
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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 of numinous from the Web
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There’s a place among the numinous for the right kind of mortal, and Rupert makes a tentative, if ugly, living here and on the edges of Kuala Lumpur’s underworld.
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The music demonstrated Byrne’s facility in different genres, and included elements of pop, jazz, and reggae, though Timbers likened its predominant mood to the numinous Nordic rock of the band Sigur Rós.
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His desire is to show the ever-so-slightly numinous in the ordinary.
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Simon McBurney’s hypnotic, sui generis performance piece — which recreates an American photographer’s numinous visit to the Amazon River Basin — hooks its audience by the ears.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'numinous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
numinous and Supernatural
Numinous is from the Latin word numen, meaning "divine will" or "nod" (it suggests a figurative nodding, 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." We began using numinous in the mid-1600s, subsequently endowing it with several senses: "supernatural" or "mysterious" (as in "possessed of a numinous energy force"), "holy" (as in "the numinous atmosphere of the catacombs"), and "appealing to the aesthetic sense" (as in "the numinous nuances of her art"). We also created the nouns numinousness and numinosity, although these are rare.
Origin and Etymology of numinous
Latin numin-, numen numen
Other Occult Terms
NUMINOUS Defined for English Language Learners
numinous
playDefinition of numinous for English Language Learners
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: having a mysterious, holy, or spiritual quality
Learn More about numinous
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See words that rhyme with numinous Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for numinous Nglish: Translation of numinous for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about numinous
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