deity

noun

de·​i·​ty ˈdē-ə-tē  ˈdā- 

plural deities

1

a

: the rank or essential nature of a god : divinity

b

capitalized : god sense 1, supreme being

2

: a god (see god entry 1 sense 2) or goddess

the deities of ancient Greece

3

: one exalted or revered as supremely good or powerful

such established American deities as Daniel Boone, Kit Carson

—J. D. Hart

the deities of the banking world

Synonyms

• divinity
• god

Examples of deity in a Sentence

to the ancient Greeks, Zeus was the deity who ruled over the sky and weather, and Poseidon was god of the sea

we prayed to the Deity for guidance

Recent Examples on the Web

Over the past few months, some of the most prominent people in AI have fashioned themselves as modern messiahs and their products as deities. —Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 17 Oct. 2024

That’s just Christ, though: deity and man, weightless word converted to meat. —Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2024

Once upon a time, as the story goes, gods Vishnu and Brahma were debating which of them was the superior deity when suddenly a shaft of blazing light appeared between them. —Robert J. Stephens, The Conversation, 27 Sep. 2024

Like the clockwork deity of the Enlightenment, Satoshi set everything in motion only to step aside. —Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English deitee, from Anglo-French deité, from Late Latin deitat-, deitas, from Latin deus god; akin to Old English Tīw, god of war, Latin divus god, dies day, Greek dios heavenly, Sanskrit deva heavenly, god

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

deity

noun

de·​i·​ty ˈdē-ət-ē 

plural deities

1

a

: divinity sense 2

b

capitalized : god sense 1

the Deity

2

a

: god sense 2

b

: goddess sense 1

Etymology

Middle English deitee "the nature of being divine," from early French deité (same meaning), derived from Latin deus "god" — related to adieu, adios