venerate

verb

ven·​er·​ate ˈve-nə-ˌrāt 

venerated; venerating

transitive verb

1

: to regard with reverential respect or with admiring deference

2

: to honor (an icon, a relic, etc.) with a ritual act of devotion

venerator

ˈve-nə-ˌrā-tər 

noun

Did you know?

Venerate comes from the Latin root venerārī, which has the various meanings of "to solicit the good will of," "to worship," "to pay homage to," and "to hold in awe."  That root is related to Venus, which, as a proper noun, is the name of the Roman goddess of love and beauty.

Synonyms

• adore
• deify
• glorify
• revere
• reverence
• worship

Choose the Right Synonym for venerate

revere, reverence, venerate, worship, adore mean to honor and admire profoundly and respectfully.

revere stresses deference and tenderness of feeling.

a professor revered by her students

reverence presupposes an intrinsic merit and inviolability in the one honored and a similar depth of feeling in the one honoring.

reverenced the academy's code of honor

venerate implies a holding as holy or sacrosanct because of character, association, or age.

heroes still venerated

worship implies homage usually expressed in words or ceremony.

worships their memory

adore implies love and stresses the notion of an individual and personal attachment.

we adored our doctor

Examples of venerate in a Sentence

a writer venerated by generations of admirers

She is venerated as a saint.

Recent Examples on the Web

The word is divine; God is best worshipped by venerating his language. —Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024

The people would create saints out of their ancestors and venerate them under the disguise of religion. —Damien Scott, Billboard, 3 Oct. 2024

This Cats has introduced us to a community that pointedly loves and venerates its elders — its survivors — and Grizabella’s name even appears at the end of a post-intermission slideshow paying tribute to the real founding mothers of the ball world’s iconic houses. —Sara Holdren, Vulture, 20 June 2024

During the first millennium, people from southern Mexico to western Honduras venerated him as a god of agriculture, lightning and royalty. —James L. Fitzsimmons, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin venerātus, past participle of Latin venerārī "to solicit the good will of (a deity), worship, pay homage to, hold in awe," verbal derivative of vener-, venus "sexual desire, qualities exciting desire, charm, (as proper noun) goddess personifying sexual attractiveness" (probably originally in cognate accusative phrase Venerem venerārī "to propitiate Venus," extended to other deities) — more at venus

First Known Use

circa 1623, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

venerate

verb

ven·​er·​ate ˈven-ə-ˌrāt 

venerated; venerating

: to show deep respect for

venerated their ancestors