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
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
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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.
What stood out most was and is their profound appreciation for a grander inspirational source: the world of Studio Ghibli, brought to life by Hayao Miyazaki.
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026
Even measured staff behind the scenes at Newcastle openly talk about him being an "inspirational" figure.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
Head teacher Andrew Russell described Pearce as an "inspirational young man" who was "refused to be defined by his health or his surgeries".
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
With this album, there’s an inspirational side of music and that’s where I lean into most of the time, but as I grew up, I started to understand there’s also a science too.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
We encounter many signs of “spirituality” among the owners—books like Ten Things I Learned about Life in My Garden and inspirational wall hangings urging centeredness.
From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich
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.
