noun
enthusiasm
Strong interest, excitement, or eagerness.
Where it comes from
Enthusiasm ordinarily means strong interest, excitement, or eagerness. Enthusiasm came through Late Latin from Greek enthousiasmos, inspiration or possession by a god. It is based on entheos, formed from en, in, and theos, god. Early English enthusiasm was primarily religious and could suggest claimed revelation, frenzy, or fanaticism.
How the meaning developed
Its force moved into secular life, where divine inspiration softened into eager interest or ardor.
Sources
Definitions adapted from Open English WordNet where applicable. License and attribution. Word-history text comes from Lexifour’s sourced social research; pages are assembled automatically, not individually fact-checked on every update.
Updated 2026-10-05. Report a correction.