Dictionary.com

afflatus

[ uh-fley-tuhs ]
/ əˈfleɪ təs /
See synonyms for afflatus on Thesaurus.com

noun

inspiration; an impelling mental force acting from within.
divine communication of knowledge.

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Origin of afflatus

1655–65; <Latin afflātus a breathing on, equivalent to af-af- + flā- (stem of flāre to blow2) + -tus suffix of v. action

Words nearby afflatus

affirmatory, affix, affixation, affixture, afflated, afflatus, afflict, afflicting, affliction, afflictive, affluence
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to afflatus

motivation, revelation, insight, influence, encouragement, genius, incentive, enthusiasm, vision, whim, brainchild, hunch, fancy, motive, awakening, illumination, flash, creativity, stimulation, approach

Example sentences from the Web for afflatus

British Dictionary definitions for afflatus

afflatus
/ (əˈfleɪtəs) /

noun

an impulse of creative power or inspiration, esp in poetry, considered to be of divine origin (esp in the phrase divine afflatus)

Word Origin for afflatus

C17: Latin, from afflātus, from afflāre to breathe or blow on, from flāre to blow
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012