inspiration
noun
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The Inspirational History of Inspiration
Inspiration has an unusual history in that its figurative sense appears to predate its literal one. It comes from the Latin inspiratus (the past participle of inspirare, “to breathe into, inspire”) and in English has had the meaning “the drawing of air into the lungs” since the middle of the 16th century. This breathing sense is still in common use among doctors, as is expiration (“the act or process of releasing air from the lungs”). However, before inspiration was used to refer to breath it had a distinctly theological meaning in English, referring to a divine influence upon a person, from a divine entity; this sense dates back to the early 14th century. The sense of inspiration often found today (“someone or something that inspires”) is considerably newer than either of these two senses, dating from the 19th century.
Examples of inspiration in a Sentence
Jessica Sager, People.com, 1 Mar. 2025
Travel is a constant source of inspiration for me and the entire Design Team at CB2.
—Shivani Vora, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025
The group cited a mishmash of historical inspirations, ranging from Russian heroes of the Second World War to Hermann Göring and Joseph Goebbels.
—James Verini, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2025
That means stars may keep getting their inspiration from Oz and Arrakis and not just Coco Chanel and Valentino.
—Anna Tingley, Variety, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inspiration
Cite this Entry
“Inspiration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inspiration. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
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inspiration
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inspiration
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