inspiration

American  

[in-spuh-ray-shuhn] / ˌɪn spəˈreɪ ʃən /

noun

• inspirations
  plural

1. 

   an inspiring or animating action or influence.

   I cannot write poetry without inspiration.

   Synonyms:

   incitement, stimulus

2. something inspired, as an idea.

3. a result of inspired activity.

4. a thing or person that inspires.

5. Theology.

   1. a divine influence directly and immediately exerted upon the mind or soul.

   2. the divine quality of the writings or words of a person so influenced.

6. the drawing of air into the lungs; inhalation.

7. the act of inspiring; quality or state of being inspired.

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inspiration British  

/ ˌɪnspɪˈreɪʃən /

noun

1. stimulation or arousal of the mind, feelings, etc, to special or unusual activity or creativity

2. the state or quality of being so stimulated or aroused

3. someone or something that causes this state

4. an idea or action resulting from such a state

5. the act or process of inhaling; breathing in

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inspiration Scientific  

/ ĭn′spə-rā′shən /

1. See inhalation

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• reinspiration
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• inspirations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of inspiration

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English inspiracio(u)n, from Late Latin inspīrātiōn-, stem of inspīrātiō literally “a breathing in,” from inspīrāt(us) “breathed in” (past participle of inspīrāre; see inspire) + -iō -ion

Explanation

An inspiration is a product of your thought, like a brilliant idea. If you have the next revolutionary inspiration like the printing press, the telephone, or the computer, you may just change the world. The noun inspiration can also mean a sudden intuition or idea, or something that arouses your desire to take action. You may find that doing some routine provides inspiration (gets your creative juices flowing), like going for a walk, looking at art, or reading a great poem. Inspiration can also mean breathing in or inhaling.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

inspiration inspirations

And her fashion label, WeWoreWhat, is being “mindful about not taking inspiration from other small designers.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

As a team, we believed that inspiration erodes apathy and yields empathy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

Revenge that took unlikely inspiration from French cinema.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

Handyside wants their Women in Coaching plan to make a real difference beyond catchphrases or inspiration.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

When I find Hiroshi, I'm hoping for the calming inspiration I've grown accustomed to.

From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman

But that is the great joy of Anderson’s “Resident Evil” films: They are so remarkably stylized, so absurdly over-the-top, so referential and deferent to Anderson’s own inspirations, that they’ve become singular visions.

From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026

And on TikTok, all the girlies are having a “Practical Magic” autumn, posting fancams, outfit inspirations and indulging in the Owens’ famous midnight margarita tradition.

From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026

It would be interesting to see what creative inspirations the Europeans brought back from their American sojourns in addition to novel crops and precious metals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

Her inspirations, meanwhile, extend well beyond her own family.

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

Where The Beades had plundered music hall, centuries-old Anglo-Celtic folk and the sounds of the 1960s electronic avant- garde, Steve Reich derived his inspirations from African drumming and Balinese gamelan music.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Related Words

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