reverence

[ rev-er-uhns, rev-ruhns ]

/ ˈrɛv ər əns, ˈrɛv rəns /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR reverence ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe; veneration.

the outward manifestation of this feeling: to pay reverence.

a gesture indicative of deep respect; an obeisance, bow, or curtsy.

the state of being revered, or treated with respect tinged with awe.

(initial capital letter) a title used in addressing or mentioning a member of the clergy (usually preceded by your or his).

verb (used with object), rev·er·enced, rev·er·enc·ing.

to regard or treat with reverence; venerate: One should reverence God and His laws.

Nearby words

reverberator, reverberatory, reverberatory furnace, revere, revere, paul, reverence, reverend, reverend mother, reverent, reverential, reverie

Origin of reverence

1250–1300; Middle English < Latin reverentia respect, fear, awe. See revere¹, -ence

SYNONYMS FOR reverence

1 honor, esteem.

6 revere, honor, adore.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR reverence ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR reverence

1 contempt.

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Related forms

rev·er·enc·er, nounnon·rev·er·ence, nounself-rev·er·ence, nounun·rev·er·enced, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for reverence

They included the officers who had turned their backs on the Jumbotron, but there now was only reverence in their ranks.
Funeral Protest Is Too Much for NYPD Union Boss|Michael Daly|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Labor Day is always a day that blends celebration with reverence.
Cleaning Up From Napa's Winepocalypse|Jordan Salcito|August 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Brewers and legal experts speak of him in hushed tones, with equal parts irritation and reverence.
Meet the Beer Bottle Dictator|Tim Mak|August 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Lincoln was just wrong to hope that “reverence for the laws” would become our “political religion.”
Cliven Bundy Is Angry—Just Like the Rest of Us|James Poulos|April 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST

I get the reverence for tradition that defines a place like Ole Miss.
Heritage and Hate at Ole Miss|Jamelle Bouie|February 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That child was as truly an object of reverence to us as any patient sufferer of mature age.
Household Education|Harriet Martineau
Self-respect in man is ultimately based on reverence for the Divine.
The Expositor's Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians|G. G. Findlay
She looked at her almost adoringly, and at last touched the soft thick gray velvet of her drapery with reverence.
Mre Girauds Little Daughter|Frances Hodgson Burnett
When Jack paused on his downward way, the priest coming up at once knelt on the steps to show his reverence.
The Harlequin Opal, Vol. 2 (of 3)|Fergus Hume
The execution of this act of reverence evinced long and careful training.
Biography and Family Record of Lorenzo Snow|Eliza R. Snow Smith

British Dictionary definitions for reverence (1 of 2)

reverence

/ (ˈrɛvərəns) /

noun

a feeling or attitude of profound respect, usually reserved for the sacred or divine; devoted veneration

an outward manifestation of this feeling, esp a bow or act of obeisance

the state of being revered or commanding profound respect

saving your reverence archaic a form of apology for using an obscene or taboo expression

verb

(tr) to revere or venerate

Derived Forms

reverencer, noun

British Dictionary definitions for reverence (2 of 2)

Reverence

/ (ˈrɛvərəns) /

noun

(preceded by Your or His) a title sometimes used to address or refer to a Roman Catholic priest

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012