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?

Among the pantheon of ancient Roman deities, has any been so venerated—that is, deeply respected—over the centuries as Venus, goddess of love and beauty? Of course, one may personally prefer Vulcan or, um, Robigus (the god associated with wheat blight), but from Venus de Milo to the classic pop song “Venus,” Venus has inspired far more enduring reverence. To venerate something or someone—whether an artist or a saint—is to hold them in similarly high regard, which makes sense given venerate’s origins. The word comes from the Latin verb venerārī, which can mean “to solicit the good will of,” “to worship,” “to pay homage to,” and “to hold in awe.” That verb, in turn, is related to—you guessed it—Venus.

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 first woman to lead Mexico is also Mexico's first president of Jewish ancestry, notable in a country whose Spanish colonial roots are Catholic and millions venerate the Virgin of Guadalupe. —Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 1 Oct. 2024

Cacao was used by the pre-Columbian populations of the Maya and Aztecs, who venerated it as a sacred food. —Alessandra Signorelli, Vogue, 19 Nov. 2024

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

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

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Kids Definition

venerate

verb

ven·​er·​ate ˈven-ə-ˌrāt 

venerated; venerating

: to show deep respect for

venerated their ancestors