Pneuma
noun /ˈnjuː.mə/ — Spirit, breath, or divine life-force
Definition
The spirit or soul — in Stoic philosophy, the vital breath that animates all things; in Christian theology, the Holy Spirit or divine breath of life given to humanity.
Beyond the definition
The life in the living. Pneuma is what distinguishes a person from a body — not the structure but the animating principle within it.
Origin & history
From Greek 'pneuma' (breath, spirit, wind) — from 'pnein' (to breathe). The same root as 'pneumonia', 'pneumatic'. Breath became the model for spirit across many cultures.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The Stoics believed pneuma pervaded the entire cosmos, binding it into one coherent whole.
She described the quality of the room as having pneuma — something alive that didn't reduce to the people in it.
Pneuma is the breath before the word — the life behind the language.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Pneuma” when the meaning fits your context: The spirit or soul — in Stoic philosophy, the vital breath that animates all things; in Christian theology, the Holy Spirit or divine breath of life given to humanity.
Synonyms
spirit, soul, life-force, breath, anima
Antonyms
matter, body, flesh
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Vital Breath of Movement
A runner mid-stride on an outdoor path, with a subtle semi-transparent conceptual overlay of muscles, heart, and lungs showing basic bodily effort.
Pneuma is the vital breath or spirit that animates all things. This illustration, which focuses on the internal systems—heart, lungs, muscles—that power the runner's external movement, acts as a visual analogy for the invisible force that drives and sustains life, mapping the 'vital breath' to the physical mechanics of breathing.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Pneuma" mean?
Pneuma is noun meaning: Spirit, breath, or divine life-force. The spirit or soul — in Stoic philosophy, the vital breath that animates all things; in Christian theology, the Holy Spirit or divine breath of life given to humanity.
Where does the word "Pneuma" come from?
From Greek 'pneuma' (breath, spirit, wind) — from 'pnein' (to breathe). The same root as 'pneumonia', 'pneumatic'. Breath became the model for spirit across many cultures.