deity
noun
a god or goddess.
deity
American
[dee-i-tee]
/ ˈdi ɪ ti /
noun
deities
plural
-
a god or goddess.
-
divine character or nature, especially that of the Supreme Being; divinity.
-
the estate or rank of a god.
The king attained deity after his death.
-
a person or thing revered as a god or goddess.
a society in which money is the only deity.
-
the Deity, God; Supreme Being.
deity
1
British
/ ˈdeɪtɪ, ˈdiːɪ- /
noun
-
a god or goddess
-
the state of being divine; godhead
-
the rank, status, or position of a god
-
the nature or character of God
Deity
2
British
/ ˈdeɪtɪ, ˈdiːɪ- /
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of deity
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
Explanation
A deity is a supernatural being, like a god or goddess, that is worshipped by people who believe it controls or exerts force over some aspect of the world. The word deity means "divine nature." It was coined by Saint Augustine, a theologian whose writings were very influential in the shaping of Western Christianity. Deity comes from the Latin word for "god": deus. The divine nature of deities is believed to be immortal goodness and powerfulness.
Vocabulary lists containing deity
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It was designed in the shape of Quetzalcoatl, or the “Feathered Serpent,” an Aztec deity and symbol of rebirth.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026
New religions are forming around artificial intelligence, and the focus of their worship is the large language model itself—a piece of software treated as a personal deity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
The name Vasuki indicus honors the mythical serpent associated with the Hindu deity Shiva, as well as the country where the fossil was found.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 29, 2026
Dedicated to Hindu deity Lord Ayyappa, the temple attracts millions of male devotees from across the country every year.
From BBC ● Apr. 7, 2026
It was hard to wrap my head around the notion of it being the same Mami Wata revered by people, including my own ancestors, as a deity.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
“While I am far from perfect, let me be clear: I believe Jesus was born of a virgin. I believe in the Deity of Christ as the only Son of God.”
From Washington Times ● Feb. 3, 2022
Alexandra Villamia Drimal and Samuel John Barr were married Aug. 4 at Deity, an events space in Brooklyn.
From New York Times ● Aug. 5, 2018
Only then did Carroll and Allison share the news of their new business, Deity Skin Care, with clients who came in for appointments.
From Time ● Aug. 5, 2015
Then Eve declared, “Each creature hath a mate But me, and, Deity, I’m getting bored!”
From Washington Post ● May 13, 2015
And since I had been born in a Christian nation, I accepted this Deity as the only one.
From "The Fire Next Time" by James Baldwin
Odysseus may have held out hope throughout years of setbacks, obstacles and traps laid by vengeful deities, but the man who plays him on the big screen is no optimist.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026
This mix indicates that the sanctuary likely served as an important regional center where multiple deities were honored.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 5, 2026
Many devotees also believe the festival honours the divine love of Hindu deities Radha and Krishna.
From BBC ● Mar. 3, 2026
As the Games celebrate new deities such as Ilia Malinin, the U.S. figure skater known as the “quad god,” La Scala is staging their demise.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 12, 2026
Uncle just snorted, convinced that it was part of the general ineptitude of the deities who were in charge of the universe.
From "Dragonwings" by Laurence Yep
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
