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reverence

American  
[rev-er-uhns, rev-ruhns] / ˈrɛv ər əns, ˈrɛv rəns /

noun

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

    Synonyms:
    esteem, honor
    Antonyms:
    contempt

  2. the outward manifestation of this feeling.

    to pay reverence.

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

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

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

verb (used with object)

reverenced, reverencing

  1. to regard or treat with reverence; venerate.

    One should reverence God and His laws.
    Synonyms:
    adore, honor, revere
reverence 1 British  
/ ˈrɛvərəns /

noun

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

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

  3. the state of being revered or commanding profound respect

  4. archaic a form of apology for using an obscene or taboo expression

"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

verb

  1. (tr) to revere or venerate

"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
Reverence 2 British  
/ ˈrɛvərəns /

noun

  1. (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

Other Word Forms

  • nonreverence noun
  • reverencer noun
  • self-reverence noun
  • unreverenced adjective

Etymology

Origin of reverence

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Latin reverentia “respect, fear, awe”; equivalent to revere 1 + -ence

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.

This reverence for Kahlo continued with “Neo-Mexicanisms,” when artists of the ’80s and ’90s, including LGBTQ+ and anti-globalism protesters, deployed Mexican imagery and Kahlo-style portraits in their art.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Individuals all over the country were fired from their jobs, shunned, ostracized and run out of town for insufficient reverence for Kirk on social media.

From Salon • Mar. 12, 2026

But the Young 40 memes also represent Korean youth's growing scepticism of this almost forced reverence for elders.

From BBC • Jan. 17, 2026

Yet Sparta, as a warrior culture, valued the young soldier to the point of reverence.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026

Instead, they all froze in place, each one of them a vision of reverence.

From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

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.