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

Crowds gather in Ayodhya, India, Jan. 22, 2024, for the opening of a temple dedicated to Hindu deity Lord Ram, a grand event expected to galvanize Hindu voters before India’s general election. —Aakash Hassan, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Apr. 2024

Patel's directorial feature debut, Monkey Man is inspired by the legend of Hindu deity Hanuman, who embodies strength and courage. —Sara Netzley, EW.com, 31 Mar. 2024

In 1992, Hindu nationalists destroyed a 16th-century mosque there, following a yearslong campaign propagating the falsehood that the mosque stood on the birthplace of Lord Rama, the most revered of Hindu deities. —Vaibhav Vats, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2024

In Hinduism, the sun and planets have special significance and are associated with some deities. —Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 8 Apr. 2024

So why did the fountain’s creators, who would have been medieval Christians, incorporate Greek deities into their design? —Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024

Warm-voiced, flowing, bearded like a deity, the legendary record producer (nine Grammys) is about mindset. —James Parker, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2024

Image Julius Pollux, a Greek scholar and grammarian from the second century A.D., attributed the discovery of the color to Tyrian Hercules, known to the Phoenicians as Melqart, guardian deity of Tyre. —Franz Lidz, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024

Mercury was the ancient Roman deity for fine arts, commerce and trade. —Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 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