beatify

verb

be·​at·​i·​fy bē-ˈa-tə-ˌfī 

beatified; beatifying

transitive verb

1

: to make supremely happy

2

Christianity : to declare to have attained the blessedness of heaven and authorize the title "Blessed" and limited public religious honor

She was beatified six years after her death.

beatification

bē-ˌa-tə-fə-ˈkā-shən 

noun

Examples of beatify in a Sentence

She was beatified by the Pope one hundred years after her death.

Recent Examples on the Web

He was beatified in the Roman Catholic Church in 2017, putting him one step closer to canonization. —Marina Johnson, Detroit Free Press, 16 Feb. 2023

Pope Francis beatified Casey for the healing of retired teacher, Paula Medina Zarate, who prayed at his tomb and was cured of a genetic disease. —Marina Johnson, Detroit Free Press, 16 Feb. 2023

The Roman Catholic Church will beatify two priests and two lay people Saturday, all victims of right-wing death squads during El Salvador’s civil war. —Marcos AlemÁn, ajc, 22 Jan. 2022

Leading the charge to beatify Rittenhouse is Fox News personality Tucker Carlson, without question the most powerful Republican in the country not named Donald Trump. —David Faris, The Week, 23 Nov. 2021

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French beatifier, borrowed from Late Latin beātificāre, verbal derivative of Latin beātificus "making happy" — more at beatific

First Known Use

1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

beatify

verb

be·​at·​i·​fy bē-ˈat-ə-ˌfī 

beatified; beatifying

: to declare to have reached the blessedness of heaven

beatification

bē-ˌat-ə-fə-ˈkā-shən 

noun