adj
Freq #169931
Meanings
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1
adj
evincing the presence of a deity
A numinous wood.
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2
adj
Of or relating to a numen (divinity); indicating the presence of a divinity.
His interest in numinous objects led him on a quest for the Holy Grail.
Thesaurus
Word family
Derived forms
numinositynuminouslynuminousness
Related forms
numennuminalnuminism
Etymology
From Latin nūmen (“nod of the head; divine sway or will; divinity”) + -ous (suffix forming adjectives from nouns, denoting possession or presence of a quality). Nūmen is believed to derive either from Latin *nuō (“to nod”) or from Ancient Greek νοούμενον (nooúmenon, “influence perceptible by the mind but not the senses”) (ultimately from νόος (nóos, “mind; thought; purpose”)).