inspirational
Americanadjective
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imparting inspiration.
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under the influence of inspiration; inspired. inspired.
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of or relating to inspiration.
adjective
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of, relating to, or tending to arouse inspiration; inspiring
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resulting from inspiration; inspired
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of inspirational
First recorded in 1830–40; inspiration + -al 1
Explanation
Anything inspirational lifts up your spirits. Inspirational words make people feel happier, more capable, and more like they can accomplish their goals. Have you ever seen a proverb on someone's desk or refrigerator that they use to cheer themselves up? That's probably an inspirational quote. A lot of religious language is inspirational, and many actions can be inspirational as well. When someone climbs Mount Everest, that's inspirational because it inspires other people to do great or difficult things. When times are tough, people seek out things that are inspirational.
Vocabulary lists containing inspirational
More Positive Words to Describe a Person
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ACT Reading Test: Words to Capture Tone, List 2
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Mardi Gras: Faith
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When Bill is asked about work-life balance, he’s also asked if he has inspirational words to impart.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026
Sheep are not only intelligent, as someone observes, but they can be inspirational.
From Salon • May 17, 2026
Wouldn’t Havens’ story be more inspirational than those?
From Slate • May 2, 2026
"When I was out on the course, people were tapping us on the shoulder saying how inspirational we were," he told BBC Radio Cumbria.
From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026
“I saw this,” the guidance counselor said to him when he was finally in her office, ignoring all the inspirational posters that told Joaquin that he could do it!
From "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
