numen means A divinity, especially a local or presiding god. It carries an Arena rating of 1740, earned across 8 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, numen ranks #97 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words, #390 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #755 of 17,130 for Most Beautiful Words, #1,747 of 17,104 for Most Storied Words.
numen is pronounced /ˈnjuː.mən/.
Why “numen” is a great word
A presiding, impersonal divine presence or power felt within a particular place or natural phenomenon. From Latin numen ("divine will, divinity, a nod"), from the notion of divine approval expressed by nodding; akin to Latin nutare ("to nod"). First attested in English in the 1620s. Unlike "deity" (which suggests a personal god with a name and story) or "numinous" (which describes the awe that presence inspires), a numen is the indwelling spirit itself—the thing that nods back. It is the uncanny stillness in a grove of ancient trees, the profound watchfulness over a deserted crossroads, and the specific, localized dread at the mouth of a forgotten cave: not a god you could name, but the unmistakable sense that you have been noticed by the breath of a place.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin nūmen.
noun
- A divinity, especially a local or presiding god.
- An influence or phenomenon at once mystical and transcendent.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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