Synonyms

reverently

American

[rev-er-uhnt-lee, rev-ruhnt-lee] / ˈrɛv ər ənt li, ˈrɛv rənt li /

adverb

in a way that exhibits deep respect or veneration.

When the Mass finally ended, the urn was reverently placed in the front seat of an old fire truck, which led the long funeral procession up the steep hillside to the cemetery.
The nun spoke reverently about the need to respect the spiritual beliefs of Native peoples.

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of reverently

reverent ( def. ) + -ly

Explanation

Doing something reverently means doing it in a solemn, respectful way. A restless crowd waiting to see the Pope might sit reverently when he finally arrives. The whole congregation prays reverently together when a minister leads it in prayer. In fact, a church, mosque, or temple is the perfect place to act reverently, but you probably do it in many other places as well. Some fans stand reverently during the national anthem before a baseball game. And if your favorite musician is playing a concert, you might listen reverently, shushing anyone nearby who's talking. The Latin root is revereri, "stand in awe of."

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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.

Grinches, by contrast, are more likely to be working actors like Darnell, who look reverently to Carrey’s performance as a blueprint for the character’s slapstick antics and snarky reads.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 25, 2025

Muivah studied briefly in Beijing's College of Diplomacy, visited Vietnam and came back speaking reverently of Mao and Zhou Enlai - though he would later fuse their ideology with a deeply Christian nationalism.

From BBC • Oct. 27, 2025

Anything that takes the Olympics less than reverently would be welcome.

From New York Times • Jun. 6, 2024

Combs, one of country music's biggest stars, reverently explained that he did not wish to revise Chapman’s flawless art.

From Salon • Feb. 7, 2024

Ben took the uniform from his father, smoothed it with his hand, spread a blanket on the lawn, then laid the uniform reverently on top of the blanket.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023