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

The elaborate shrines of Shiva and Vishnu — two of the main deities in Hinduism — were built based on 10th- and 12th-century Indian architecture and sit symmetrically across from one another at the entrance of the temple. —Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 19 Jan. 2025

References to the pre-Islamic queen of the ancient city of Palmyra, Queen Zenobia, were to be removed, as were the names and images of pre-Islamic deities from the high school curriculum. —Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 4 Jan. 2025

Centers and satellites are still the idea; above him float several squares within circles, and as the geometric shapes get smaller and more central the figures within get more important—not mortals but minor deities, not minor deities but the big guy, Vajrabhairava. —Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2025

Earlier Iron Age findings in France and Switzerland indicate that horses and dogs were symbolic at the time and were often present in what appears to be sacrificial rituals, funeral rites, and are frequently associated with specific deities from the time. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 26 Dec. 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