numen
[ noo-min, nyoo- ]
/ ˈnu mɪn, ˈnyu- /
Save This Word!
noun, plural nu·mi·na [noo-muh-nuh, nyoo-]. /ˈnu mə nə, ˈnyu-/.
divine power or spirit; a deity, especially one presiding locally or believed to inhabit a particular object.
QUIZZES
THINK YOU’VE GOT A HANDLE ON THIS US STATE NICKNAME QUIZ?
Did you ever collect all those state quarters? Put them to good use on this quiz about curious state monikers and the facts around them.
Question 1 of 8
Mississippi’s nickname comes from the magnificent trees that grow there. What is it?
Origin of numen
1620–30; <Latin nūmen a nod, command, divine will or power, divinity; akin to nūtāre to nod the head in commanding or assent
Words nearby numen
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for numen
British Dictionary definitions for numen
numen
/ (ˈnjuːmɛn) /
noun plural -mina (-mɪnə)
(esp in ancient Roman religion) a deity or spirit presiding over a thing or place
a guiding principle, force, or spirit
Word Origin for numen
C17: from Latin: a nod (indicating a command), divine power; compare nuere to nod
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