Afflatus

inspiration; an impelling mental force acting from within.
divine communication of knowledge.
historical examples

and that afflatus was no such great matter, either: afflatuses should not promise more than they mean to perform.
the works of lucian of samosata, v. 4 lucian of samosata

metre and rhyme, i grant you—long and short—but show me the afflatus!
miriam monfort catherine a. warfield

he was not born to an inheritance of sycophancy; it comes like an afflatus upon him, and it turns his head.
the land-war in ireland (1870) james g-dkin

then with an afflatus, words flow, whispered by my muse, into lines and stanzas.
dreaming of dreaming peter e. williams

the afflatus thus acquired, its effects become visible in the frantic glare and the convulsive gesticulations of the possessed.
ten thousand wonderful things edmund fillingham king

at this point, inspired by the afflatus of a deep and true affection, philip waxed eloquent.
nestleton magna j. jackson wray

it seems to spread out its wings and to be lifted straight upwards out of sight by the afflatus of its own happy heart.
a walk from london to john o’groat’s elihu burritt

the dial was the original organ of this afflatus, and contains many articles that are edifying to christians of good digestion.
history of american socialisms john humphrey noyes

when once she abandoned herself to the afflatus of the dance delirium, she did with her beholders what she would.
under two flags ouida [louise de la ramee]

after his deposal and death there was a long interregnum; but the afflatus was only distributed, not extinguished.
history of american socialisms john humphrey noyes

noun
an impulse of creative power or inspiration, esp in poetry, considered to be of divine origin (esp in the phrase divine afflatus)
n.

“miraculous communication of supernatural knowledge,” 1660s, from latin afflatus “a breathing upon, blast,” from past participle of afflare “to blow upon,” from ad- “to” (see ad-) + flare “to blow” (see blow (v.1)).