deity

[dee-i-tee]

noun

plural

deities 

1. a god or goddess.

2. divine character or nature, especially that of the Supreme Being; divinity.

3. the estate or rank of a god.

   The king attained deity after his death.

4. a person or thing revered as a god or goddess.

   a society in which money is the only deity.

5. the Deity, God; Supreme Being.

deity

¹

/ ˈdeɪtɪ, ˈdiːɪ- /

noun

1. a god or goddess

2. the state of being divine; godhead

3. the rank, status, or position of a god

4. the nature or character of God

Deity

²

/ ˈdeɪtɪ, ˈdiːɪ- /

noun

1. the Supreme Being; God

Other Word Forms

• superdeity noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of deity¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English deite, from Old French, from Late Latin deitāt- (stem of deitās ), equivalent to Latin dei- (combining form of deus “god”) + -tāt- -ty ², formed after Latin dīvīnitās divinity

Word History and Origins

Origin of deity¹

C14: from Old French, from Late Latin deitās, from Latin deus god

Example Sentences

In 2020 he protested the construction of a temple to the Hindu deity Ram in the northern Indian town of Ayodhya.

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The hands of deities split the mountains and raised the seas.

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She declares herself a powerful deity and explains that God is essentially a “tube” that constantly ingests and secretes experiences and things.

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That Amélie believes she is a deity, Han suggests, speaks to how all young children believe that they’re in the center of the universe.

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The hill shrine, dedicated to Hindu deity Lord Ayyappa, had made headlines a few years back too.

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Related Words

• divinity 
• idol 
• immortal