afflatus

[ uh-fley-tuhs ]

noun

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

afflatus

/ əˈfleɪtəs /

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of afflatus¹

1655–65; < Latin afflātus a breathing on, equivalent to af- af- + flā- (stem of flāre to blow ² ) + -tus suffix of v. action

Word History and Origins

Origin of afflatus¹

C17: Latin, from afflātus, from afflāre to breathe or blow on, from flāre to blow

Example Sentences

He had received from somewhere new afflatus for the story of Tom and Huck, and was working on it steadily.

From Project Gutenberg

It is simply a tenaqueous bag of wind, yet it has occasionally given an impulse to the divine afflatus.

From Project Gutenberg

Lie down on the dusty shingle above high water mark, take off my hat, and abandon myself to the Divine Afflatus.

From Project Gutenberg

The afflatus of liberty sat upon the people as cloven tongues.

From Project Gutenberg

So it seems that our poet drank in the divine afflatus, as it were, with his mother's milk.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• encouragement
• enthusiasm
• genius
• incentive
• influence
• insight
• motivation
• revelation
• vision