Meaning, in detail
Numinous describes a quality that suggests sacred presence, spiritual mystery or a sense of awe. It is a word for the atmosphere of an experience, not necessarily a statement about a person’s religious beliefs.
A place, an encounter or an artwork can be described as numinous when it feels charged with a significance beyond the ordinary. Simply being mysterious or dimly lit is not enough to convey the whole meaning.
Pronunciation
NOO-muh-nuhs
IPA transcription or a simplified reading guide. Pronunciation can vary with accent.Where does it come from?
The adjective is built from Latin numen, associated with divine power or presence. That root explains its connection with the sacred.
Use it in a sentence
The empty sanctuary had a numinous stillness.
The painting gave the familiar landscape a numinous quality.Original examples written for Puzzoria.
Did you know?
Numinous and luminous may look similar, but they do not mean the same thing. A numinous experience concerns awe or sacred presence; it need not involve light.