beatific
adjective
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Beatific Has Latin Roots
When it comes to bliss-themed words, it’s hard to beat beatific. Since the 17th century, beatific has been all about that other b-word, first describing things that impart a feeling of complete and utter happiness, and later those beings with a blissful appearance. Not a bad gig if you can get it. Beatific comes from the Latin adjective beātificus, which means “making happy,” and can be traced further back to the verb beāre, meaning “to make happy.” Bliss, of course, is more like happiness cubed, so beatific tends to be used in formal speech and writing, and reserved for situations where happy itself doesn’t quite cut the mustard. A beatific smile, for example, is one that suggests its wearer is content on a deeper-than-ordinary level, while a beatific location—say, a tranquil tropical lagoon or a majestic mountain—is one that instills such pervasive joy in its beholder.
Examples of beatific in a Sentence
Stephen Humphries, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Dec. 2024
But Close gives her character a reassuring stillness and a beatific smile, which generally serve as a calming influence on Sophia.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Oct. 2024
This should be said with a beatific bridal smile — the sincerity of which Miss Manners hopes your guests will be questioning for the rest of their rude and impertinent lives.
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 4 Oct. 2024
While much of the rest of the country roasted, San Francisco last weekend appeared a beatific city lorded over by mild yet sunny cerulean skies and ideally chilly nights.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Beatific.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beatific. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.
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beatific
adjective
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