veneration
Americannoun
-
the act of venerating.
-
the state of being venerated.
-
the feeling of a person who venerates; a feeling of awe, respect, etc.; reverence.
They were filled with veneration for their priests.
- Antonyms:
- disrespect
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an expression of this feeling.
A memorial was erected in veneration of the dead of both world wars.
noun
-
a feeling or expression of awe or reverence
-
the act of venerating or the state of being venerated
Synonym Usage
See respect.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of veneration
1400–50; late Middle English < Latin venerātiōn- (stem of venerātiō ), equivalent to venerāt ( us ) ( see venerate) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
Veneration is similar to worship or respect: we feel veneration for things and people we adore and are devoted to completely. This is a strong word. The main meaning is for a type of religious zeal: if you unquestionably believe in your religion, then you feel and show veneration for your god and beliefs. Also, veneration can apply outside religion when you have enormous respect for something or someone. Great people like Martin Luther King or Mother Theresa inspire veneration. If you feel a combination of awe and love for someone, you are full of veneration.
Vocabulary lists containing veneration
Pride and Prejudice
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The Federalist Papers, No. 14 by James Madison
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Society and Solitude
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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.
Despite the national veneration of units like Vizirenko’s, Ukraine has struggled to recruit and retain fighters, with about 200,000 listed as absent without leave, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov told the country’s parliament in January.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
And although the streaming boom has had its drawbacks, it has also unearthed and popularized worthy cult classics, giving them a new life and the long-deserved veneration they deserve.
From Salon ● Jun. 9, 2025
Much of the supply comes from Hindu temples in the south of the country where hair is shaved off in an act of veneration and faith.
From BBC ● Feb. 17, 2025
I realized that I didn’t know much about how the religion honors the fall aside from Rosh Hashana, a veneration of the harvest marking the Jewish new year, followed by the High Holy days.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2024
He was overwhelmed by a feeling of great love, of the most humble veneration.
From "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse
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.
