numinous

[noo-muh-nuhs, nyoo-]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or like a numen; spiritual or supernatural.

2. surpassing comprehension or understanding; mysterious.

   that element in artistic expression that remains numinous.

3. arousing one's elevated feelings of duty, honor, loyalty, etc..

   a benevolent and numinous paternity.

numinous

/ ˈnjuːmɪnəs /

adjective

1. denoting, being, or relating to a numen; divine

2. arousing spiritual or religious emotions

3. mysterious or awe-inspiring

Word History and Origins

Origin of numinous¹

First recorded in 1640–50; from Latin nūmin- (stem of nūmen ) numen + -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of numinous¹

C17: from Latin numin-, _numen + _-ous

Example Sentences

Kirk was after something cooler, grander, more numinous and entirely of the moment: celebrity as a celebration of itself, untethered to any specific skills or accomplishments.

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“Is this just sensory stimulation? Is this gesturing at the numinous? Is this referencing the mystical? There’s no meta-narrative here.”

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What they made me think of, instead, was the 19th century, and in particular the paintings of Winslow Homer, who depicted the sea often, giving it a numinous quality that could be dangerous or comradely.

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Similarly, the sense of the numinous, of potencies beyond human understanding, is made explicit and manifest, particularly in an early conversation about dark energy.

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The fruit in those same kitchens looked numinous in the morning light.

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