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

• 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

Team Cherry The Pale King usurped the ruling deity, the Radiance, a god of light who shines in contrast to the Abyss, a primordial force of darkness that is represented by Void. —Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025

The film very loosely adapts one tale from the lore of the titular Chinese protection deity, an eccentric-looking boy warrior of mystical, demonic birth. —Derek Robertson, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025

Going further back, a sun disk hovered over the ancient Egyptian god Ra, and in Eastern religions a nimbus halo appeared over the Buddha and the Hindu deities. —Lizz Schumer, People.com, 31 Aug. 2025

The third act, which captures essentially one long showdown among deities of all kinds, is awash with kinetic action. —Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2025

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

Rhymes for deity

• contemporaneity
• heterogeneity
• inhomogeneity
• homogeneity
• simultaneity
• spontaneity

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