pneuma

[noo-muh, nyoo-]

See more synonyms for pneuma on Thesaurus.com

noun

the vital spirit; the soul.
Theology. the Spirit of God; the Holy Ghost.

Origin of pneuma

1875–80; < Greek pneûma literally, breath, wind, akin to pneîn to blow, breathe

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for pneuma

subconscious, ego, mind, soul, spirit, conscience, heart, life, stuff, intelligence, vitality, intellect, thought, genius, courage, feeling, personality, individuality, anima, self

Examples from the Web for pneuma

Historical Examples of pneuma

This pneuma was equivalent to both soul and life, but it was something more.
The Legacy of Greece
Various
Another necessity for the support of life is the pneuma which circulates in the vessels.
The Legacy of Greece
Various
The pneuma, or spirit, was in their opinion the cause of health and of disease.
Outlines of Greek and Roman Medicine
James Sands Elliott
Apparently Galen refers to the pneuma and the various humours.
On the Natural Faculties
Galen
Apparently the common Greek materialistic use of "pneuma" to indicate "breath" or "wind" or the like is here followed.
The Origin of Paul's Religion
J. Gresham Machen

British Dictionary definitions for pneuma

pneuma

noun

philosophy a person's vital spirit, soul, or creative energyCompare psyche

Word Origin for pneuma

C19: from Greek: breath, spirit, wind; related to pnein to blow, breathe

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

Word Origin and History for pneuma

used in English in various sense, from Greek pneuma "a blowing, a wind, blast; breeze; influence; breathed air, breath; odor, scent; spirit of a person; inspiration, a spirit, ghost," from pnein "to blow, to breathe," from PIE root *pneu- "to breathe," of imitative origin (cf. Greek pnoe "breath," pnoia "breathing;" Old English fnora "sneezing," fnæran "to snort").