numinous
adjective
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Numinous and Supernatural
Numinous is from the Latin word numen, meaning "nod of the head" or "divine will" (the latter sense suggesting a figurative nod, of assent or of command, of the divine head). English speakers have been using numen for centuries with the meaning "a spiritual force or influence." The meanings of the adjective include "supernatural" or "mysterious" (as in "possessed of a numinous energy force"), "holy" ("the numinous atmosphere of the catacombs"), and "appealing to the aesthetic sense" ("the numinous nuances of her art"). There are also the nouns numinousness and numinosity, although these are rare.
Examples of numinous in a Sentence
Heather Wilhelm, National Review, 25 July 2024
Pisces is ruled by numinous Neptune, which is why they’re often described as ethereal and out of this world.
—Valerie Mesa, Peoplemag, 18 May 2024
And Gush Emunim’s numinous views have morphed into something arguably darker than mere theocracy—views comprehensively documented by Yair Nehorai, a civil-rights attorney, in his 2022 book The Third Revolution (available only in Hebrew).
—Jordan Castro, Harper's Magazine, 9 Jan. 2024
Among the drawings encountered just after Chocolate Room is Unidentified Hit Record, where a black vinyl LP hovers like a six-track mandala amid a numinous light show.
—Susan Tallman, The New York Review of Books, 2 Nov. 2023
See all Example Sentences for numinous 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'numinous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Numinous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/numinous. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.
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