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

When Saint Ambrose of Milan was venerated, his life became public property, its meaning expanding with the unique interpretations of each new generation. —Big Think, 24 June 2024

In Asian cultures, these mischievous shape-shifters are venerated but also viewed as avatars of enticing deception. —Charlie Jane Anders, Washington Post, 19 June 2024

But the book acknowledges this without falling into the trap of venerating motherhood as inherently heroic. —Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 14 June 2024

The apes have fractured into tribes, while Caesar has passed from historical figure to mythic one, a figure venerated by some and forgotten by most. —Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 8 May 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