Afflatus Definition

ə-flātəs
noun
A strong creative impulse, especially as a result of divine inspiration.
American Heritage
Inspiration or powerful impulse, as of an artist or poet.
Webster's New World
A sudden rush of creative impulse or inspiration, often attributed to divine influence.
Wiktionary

A breath or blast of wind.

Wiktionary
Synonyms:

Other Word Forms of Afflatus

Noun

Singular:
afflatus
Plural:
afflatuses

Origin of Afflatus

  • From Latin afflatus, originally adflatu (compare English flatulence (“digestive gas, fart”)), past participle of afflo (“to blow on”). In artistic sense, introduced by Cicero in De Natura Deorum (The Nature of the Gods) (44 BCE) II.167, as alternative to existing and similar inspiration (literally “sucking in air”), which already had a more general and metaphorical sense, to emphasize specifically the initial insight and restore literal overtones.

    From Wiktionary

  • Latin afflātus from past participle of afflāre to breathe on ad- ad- flāre to blow bhlē- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

Afflatus Sentence Examples

  • St Paul himself knew when he was speaking by the Spirit, and when he was not; and we too can recognize to some extent when the afflatus comes upon him.

  • As no one could curse Jesus except under the influence of a devilish afflatus, so none could say "Jesus is Lord" except he was inspired by the Holy Spirit.

  • It does not, of course, follow that everyone who had shared in the divine afflatus of prophetic enthusiasm gave forth oracles; but the prophets as a class stood nearer than other men to the mysterious workings of Yahweh, and it was in their circle that revelation seemed to have its natural home.

  • Whatever happened to passion and vision and the divine afflatus in poetry?

  • He depicts her quick changes of colour, her dishevelled hair, her panting breast, her apparent increase of stature as the god draws nigh and fills her with his divine afflatus.

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Words Starting With

AAFAFF

Words Ending With

SUSTUS

Unscrambles

afflatus

Words Starting With A and Ending With S

Starts With A & Ends With SStarts With AF & Ends With SStarts With A & Ends With US

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8 Letter Words8 Letter Words Starting With A8 Letter Words Ending With S