numinous

/ˈnjuːmɪnəs/

//ˈnjuːmɪnəs// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"numinous" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“numinous” is uncommon English (frequency #95,200 among 1,534 “N” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#95,200
frequency rank, English
1,534
“N” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Of or relating to a numen (divinity); indicating the presence of a divinity.

Corpus desk

Index EN-numinous · numinous · English

numinous · rank #95,200 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #95,200
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,534
  • PHOTO-FINISH nuclease

Nearest frequency peer: nuclease (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “numinous”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “numinous” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for numinous
PropertyValue
Headwordnuminous
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈnjuːmɪnəs/
Letters8
Frequency rank#95,200
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “numinous” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).numinousfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “nuclease” (#95,199), “nuthatch” (#95,202), “novation” (#95,197). Among 1,534 “N” headwords, “numinous” is #95,200. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

numinous is uncommon English at frequency #95,200 among 1,534 “N” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈnjuːmɪnəs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for numinous in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: 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 (n… The correct English form is numinous, spelled N-U-M-I-N-O-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of or relating to a numen (divinity); indicating the presence of a divinity.
  2. 2
    Evoking a sense of the mystical, sublime, or transcendent; awe-inspiring.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how numinous appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. His interest in numinous objects led him on a quest for the Holy Grail.
  2. The fetish of Huitzilopochtli, bundled up and screened from profane eyes, now preceded the wandering group, carried on the back of his oracle-priest or sorcerer who alone was holy enough to handle safely the numinous object.

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”)).

This word in other languages

numineux(Français)numinos(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "numinous"?
"numinous" is spelled N-U-M-I-N-O-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈnjuːmɪnəs/.
What does "numinous" mean?
As an adjective, "numinous" means: Of or relating to a numen (divinity); indicating the presence of a divinity.
How do you pronounce "numinous"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "numinous" is /ˈnjuːmɪnəs/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "numinous"?
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 νο... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "numinous", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

nuclease#95,199nuthatch#95,202novation#95,197pashmina#95,243

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list