venerate

verb

ven·​er·​ate ˈve-nə-ˌrāt How to pronounce venerate (audio)
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 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.

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 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 Outdoor altars venerating various saints are located throughout the town. Catherine Sabino, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024 This history is often celebrated in scholarship on fiber art, which typically venerates figures such as Albers and Hicks for using the techniques of ancient Andean textiles to create modernist masterpieces. K. L. H. Wells, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2024 The prisoners’ remains were burned to ashes and scattered at sea to prevent the crowd from venerating them as relics. Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for venerate 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'venerate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of venerate was circa 1623

Dictionary Entries Near venerate

Cite this Entry

“Venerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/venerate. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

venerate

verb
ven·​er·​ate ˈven-ə-ˌrāt How to pronounce venerate (audio)
venerated; venerating
: to show deep respect for
venerated their ancestors

More from Merriam-Webster on venerate

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