numinous

American  

[noo-muh-nuhs, nyoo-] / ˈnu mə nəs, ˈnyu- /

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.

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numinous British  

/ ˈnjuːmɪnəs /

adjective

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

2. arousing spiritual or religious emotions

3. mysterious or awe-inspiring

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Etymology

Origin of numinous

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

Example Sentences

Her flutes — from piccolo to bass and all in between — and friends became magic makers in this numinous physical and musical landscape.

From Los Angeles Times

These soldiers “have no ears,” a numinous voice told Sitting Bull.

From The Wall Street Journal

Other people are already, in some sense, absent—existing only in our mental perception or, these days, in the numinous world of our extended digital consciousness.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.

From Salon

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

From Los Angeles Times