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

Modern men were influenced by reason and rationality, rather than a deity. —Alison Habens, JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2024

But by the Middle Ages, Greek philosophical texts had become largely unavailable to European Christians, who believed that humans were too wretched to find the good without a supernatural deity. —Sigal Samuel, Vox, 20 Oct. 2024

Maya moon goddess Ixchel: a benevolent deity with a dark side Computational astrophysicist and research scientist at Caltech. —Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 14 Oct. 2024

Forbidden from openly worshiping their Orishas, enslaved Africans covertly prayed to these deities by linking them with Catholic saints in a practice known as syncretism. —Essence, 10 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