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

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