reverential
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of reverential
Explanation
When you're reverential, you treat someone or something with a lot of respect. You might speak about your beloved kindergarten teacher in a reverential voice. To talk about someone in a reverential way or treat a family heirloom with reverential care is to act out of a deep, almost solemn kind of respect. The adjective reverential comes close to implying worship — a devoutly religious person feels reverential toward God, for example. It's rooted in the Latin word reverentia, "awe or respect," from revereri, "to stand in awe of, fear, or be afraid of."
Vocabulary lists containing reverential
This Week in Words: July 14 - 20, 2018
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Grapes of Wrath
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Artemis Fowl
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Recently, in the r/workingmoms Subreddit, one poster wondered if she stood alone as an elder millennial who doesn’t have a reverential nostalgia for childhood summers.
From Salon ● Jun. 24, 2026
While eager to imbue him with reverential status, the Party is simultaneously wary that almost any discussion of Mao's legacy could rake up uncomfortable memories.
From BBC ● Apr. 19, 2026
But fairs emphasized the typical, not the singular; the popular, not the elite; the commercial, not the reverential.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 14, 2026
“Gram was very reverential about the Opry stars, but the audience wasn’t ready for it. Of course, a few years later, everybody had long hair, and then you had Southern rock.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2025
“You’d better come along with us, Father,” a lean, hawkfaced major on the chaplain’s other side intoned with reverential sorrow.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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.
