reverent

[rev-er-uh nt, rev-ruh nt]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR reverent ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

feeling, exhibiting, or characterized by reverence; deeply respectful: a reverent greeting.

Origin of reverent

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin reverent- (stem of reverēns), present participle of reverērī to revere¹; see -ent

Related formsrev·er·ent·ly, adverbrev·er·ent·ness, nounnon·rev·er·ent, adjectivenon·rev·er·ent·ly, adverbself-rev·er·ent, adjectiveun·rev·er·ent, adjectiveun·rev·er·ent·ly, adverb

Can be confusedreverend reverent

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

Related Words for reverent

reverential, solemn, deferential, polite, appreciative, gracious, devout, dutiful, humble, obedient, obeisant, pious, regardful, admiring, worshipping

Examples from the Web for reverent

Contemporary Examples of reverent

The parade was solemn, with reverent music and the call-and-response singing of two choirs.
The First Americans to Observe the 4th Were Moravian Pacifists
Linda C. Brinson
July 4, 2014
The story of these and her sisters we must pass in reverent silence.
The Real Memorial Day: Oliver Wendell Holmes's Salute To A Momentous American Anniversary
Malcolm Jones
May 26, 2014
Two, we wanted to offer sincere and reverent homage to those same beautifully made movies.
Mel Brooks Is Always Funny and Often Wise in This 1975 Playboy Interview
Alex Belth
February 16, 2014
This was as faithful and reverent an adaptation as could ever have been hoped for.
George R.R. Martin's Top 10 Fantasy Films
George R.R. Martin
April 11, 2011

Historical Examples of reverent

He is so very young and reverent and tender, and in a way so unsophisticated.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
She was about to grasp him with the eager hands of reverent love: why did he refuse the touch?
Miracles of Our Lord
George MacDonald
A picturesque, old German virtuoso is the reverent possessor of a genuine "Cremona."
The Harbor
Ernest Poole
Said it made him feel kind of reverent and holy, almost as if he was in Paradise.
Cy Whittaker's Place
Joseph C. Lincoln
"The liberation of mankind," he added, and his voice was reverent.
Astounding Stories of Super-Science July 1930
Various

British Dictionary definitions for reverent

reverent

adjective

feeling, expressing, or characterized by reverence

Derived Formsreverently, adverbreverentness, noun

Word Origin for reverent

C14: from Latin reverēns respectful

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

Word Origin and History for reverent

adj.

late 14c., "reverend;" late 15c., "characterized by reverence, deeply respectful," from Old French reverent and directly from Latin reverentem (nominative reverens), present participle of revereri (see reverence). The sense of "reverend" was common 14c. through 17c. Related: Reverently.