inspiration

From Middle English inspiracioun, from Old French inspiration, from Late Latin īnspīrātiōnem (nominative: īnspīrātiō), from Latin īnspīrātus (past participle of inspīrō). Morphologically inspire +‎ -ation. Displaced native Old English onbryrdnes (literally “in-pricked-ness”).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌɪn.spɪˈɹeɪ.ʃən/
• enPR: ĭn'spərāʹshən
  • (US) IPA^(key): /ˌɪn.spəˈɹeɪ.ʃən/

    • Audio (US)

      (file)

  • (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˌɪn.spəˈɹæɪ.ʃən/
• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

inspiration (countable and uncountable, plural inspirations)

1. (physiology, uncountable) The drawing of air into the lungs, accomplished in mammals by elevation of the chest walls and flattening of the diaphragm, as part of the act of respiration.
   • 1857, M. Hall [junior] editor, Prone and postival respiration in drowning and other forms of apricea, or suspended respiration:

     The respiratory movements are no longer normal and rhythmic acts of inspiration and exspiration, but abnormal and irregular expiratory movements

   • 2008, G Berghs, “Stage fright in singers: Three reaction types”, in Folia Phoniatrica et Logopaedica:

     If a reaction involves increased muscle tonus and too much inspiration, muscle relaxation and exhalation exercises might be of use.

2. (countable) A breath, a single inhalation.
   • 1826, John Bostock, An Elementary System of Physiology‎, page 220:

     Laughing is produced by an inspiration succeeded by a succession of short imperfect expirations.

   • 1838, Thomas Hodgkin, Dr. Fisher, On the influence of physical agents on life, translation of original by William Frédéric Edwards, Pouillet (Claude Servais Mathias, M.), and Luke Howard:

     One of them had a temperature of 40° cent. 104° Fahr. and 97 inspirations per minute.

   • 2013, A Kose, C Yildirim, B Kose, N Gunay, …, “Can agricultural drugs be used against lice? Accident, suicide or truth? Case presentations”, in Eastern Journal of Medicine:

     On physical examination, blood pressure was 145/70 mm Hg, pulse was 108 beats per minute, respiratory rate was 36 inspirations per minute, body temperature was 38 ºC and her oxygen saturation (during nasal oxygen intake) was 93%.

3. A supernatural divine influence on the prophets, apostles, or sacred writers, by which they were qualified to communicate moral or religious truth with authority; a supernatural influence which qualifies people to receive and communicate divine truth; also, the truth communicated.
   • 1688, Jacques Bénigne Bossuet, The History of the Variations of the Protestant Churches Vol.2 (1829 translation), p. 355:

     The question, therefore, at issue is, not whether those external means be sufficient without grace and divine inspiration, for none pretends that": but, in order to hinder men from feigning or imagining an inspiration, whether it has not been God's economy, and his usual conduct to make his inspiration walk hand in hand with certain means of fact, which men can neither feign in the air without being convicted of falsehood, nor imagine without illusion.

   • 1971, Peter Brown, The World of Late Antiquity: AD 150—750, Thames & Hudson LTD, published 2013, →ISBN, page 54:

     The more strongly people felt about their ideas, the more potent the demons seemed to them: Christians believed that traditional paganism, far from being the work of men, was an 'opium of the masses', pumped into the human race by the non-human demons; and one scholar even ascribed bad reviews of his book to demonic inspiration!

4. The act of an elevating or stimulating influence upon the intellect, emotions or creativity.

   She was waiting for inspiration to write a book.

   Usage notes: In this sense, it may be followed by the adposition to in relation to the person being influenced, and for or to in relation to the idea or activity:

   • 1865, George Duffield, The Nation's Wail‎, page 6:

     We caught the inspiration of his joy; and imagination painted a glorious future near at hand for our land, quickly to develop itself under the guidance of his fostering wisdom, and fraternal counsels and care.

   • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter IV, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC, page 51:

     “Well,” I answered, at first with uncertainty, then with inspiration, “he would do splendidly to lead your cotillon, if you think of having one.” ¶ “So you do not dance, Mr. Crocker?” ¶ I was somewhat set back by her perspicuity.

   • 1998, David Allen Brown, Leonardo da Vinci: Origins of a Genius‎, page 25:

     All this suggests that Andrea may, like the authors of the devotional panel, the fresco, and the print – and like Leonardo, as we shall see – have found his inspiration in Pollaiuolo.

   • 2002, Sven Rasegård, Man and Science: A Web of Systems and Social Conventions, page 2:

     And now it is time for problem solving which, if successful, will create new ideas serving as an inspiration source for future research objects of the researcher in question as well as other researchers within the same field.

   • 2013 September 1, Phil McNulty, “Liverpool 1-0 Man Utd”, in BBC Sport:

     As for United, this was a performance lacking in inspiration, purpose and threat and once again underlined the urgency for transfer business to be done in the closing hours of the transfer window.

5. A person, object, or situation which quickens or stimulates an influence upon the intellect, emotions or creativity.

   The trip was an inspiration to her for writing a book.

   • 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, pages 208–209:

     She had grown accustomed to look upon Ethel as Walter's passion and inspiration: it was something far off and distant, which even she felt was sacred; but Lady Marchmont was a new rival, and come too actual, and too near.

   • 2008 April 5, George W. Bush, Presidential Radio Address‎:

     The people of Ukraine and Georgia are an inspiration to the world, and I was pleased that this week NATO declared that Ukraine and Georgia will become members of NATO.

6. A new idea, especially one which arises suddenly and is clever or creative.
   • 1895 May 7, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, “The Inventor”, in The Time Machine: An Invention, New York, N.Y.: Henry Holt and Company, →OCLC, page 21:

     After an interval the Psychologist had an inspiration. "It must have gone into the past if it has gone anywhere," he said.

   • 1916, Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton, chapter 15, in Mrs. Balfame:

     Mrs. Balfame had an inspiration. "My God!" she exclaimed, springing to her feet, "the murderer . . . was hidden in the cellar or attic all night, all the next day! He may be here yet!"

   • 1997, “By The Seat Of His Pants”, in Ski‎, volume 61, number 7, →ISSN, page 22:

     The weekend inventor has five U.S. patents and three more pending for inspirations such as a kickable Frisbee, a clothes-ironing mitt and a leak-proof shower curtain.

   • 2007 July 1, Sylviane Gold, “Scenery Chewer Plays It Straight, Methodically”, in New York Times, retrieved 3 Sept. 2013:

     [H]e accompanied her to a rehearsal of a skit satirizing “Casablanca,” and the director had an inspiration: Wouldn’t it be a laugh to cast a 10-year-old as Rick?

• (physiology): inhalation
• (stimulation of creativity or intellect): spark, flash, eureka

• (antonym(s) of “physiology”): expiration

• inspire

• Muse
• Pierian spring

• “inspiration”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

inspiration c (singular definite inspirationen, plural indefinite inspirationer)

1. inspiration

• “inspiration” in Den Danske Ordbog

Inherited from Old French inspiration, borrowed from Late Latin īnspīrātiōnem (nominative: īnspīrātiō), from Latin īnspīrātus (past participle of inspīrō).

• IPA^(key): /ɛ̃s.pi.ʁa.sjɔ̃/

• Audio

  (file)

inspiration f (plural inspirations)

1. inspiration (instance of breathing in)
2. inspiration (divine intervention)
3. inspiration (something which brings about creativity or perseverance)

• inspirer

• “inspiration”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Borrowed from Late Latin inspirationem (nominative: inspiratio), from Latin inspiratus (past participle of inspīrō).

inspiration oblique singular, f (oblique plural inspirations, nominative singular inspiration, nominative plural inspirations)

1. inspiration (act of breathing in)
2. inspiration (something which inspires)

• → English: inspiration
• French: inspiration

• Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l’ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IX^e au XV^e siècle (1881) (inspiracion)

inspiration c

1. inspiration (influence)
2. inspiration (breathing in)

   Synonym: inandning

• inspirationskälla (“a source of inspiration”)

• inspirera (“inspire”)

• inspiration in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• inspiration in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• inspiration in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)