inspirational

[in-spuh-rey-shuh-nl]

adjective

1. imparting inspiration.

2. under the influence of inspiration; inspired. inspired.

3. of or relating to inspiration.

inspirational

/ ˌɪnspɪˈreɪʃənəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or tending to arouse inspiration; inspiring

2. resulting from inspiration; inspired

Other Word Forms

• inspirationally adverb
• pseudoinspirational adjective
• quasi-inspirational adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of inspirational¹

First recorded in 1830–40; inspiration + -al ¹

Example Sentences

"We've obviously very proud of her. Right now the world feels very divided but this little lady from North Yorkshire has really united people, and I think that's such a lovely, inspirational thing."

From BBC

Many reviews of her services on Facebook are positive, with some families describing the service as "amazing" and "inspirational".

From BBC

For the 18 seasons that aired between 2004 and 2020, the show normalized the shaming and mockery of fat people under the banner of inspirational programming.

From Salon

Angela Spence, chair of the university's board of governors, said Lord Paul was an "inspirational and generous chancellor and a wonderful human being".

From BBC

He stress-tests our icky, grubby pity for Matthew and, beyond that, the flimsiness of modern fame culture and its fake-it-till-you-make-it inspirational platitudes.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• eloquent 
• emotional 
• expressive 
• gripping 
• heartbreaking 
• heartrending 
• inspiring www.thesaurus.com
• meaningful 
• persuasive 
• poignant 
• stirring 
• stunning 
• touching