venerate

[ven-uh-reyt]

verb (used with object)

venerated, venerating 

1. to regard or treat with reverence; revere.

venerate

/ ˈvɛnəˌreɪt /

verb

1. to hold in deep respect; revere

2. to honour in recognition of qualities of holiness, excellence, wisdom, etc

Other Word Forms

• venerator noun
• unvenerated adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of venerate¹

1615–25; < Latin venerātus, past participle of venerārī to solicit the goodwill of (a god), worship, revere, verbal derivative of vener-, stem of venus, presumably in its original sense “desire”; Venus )

Word History and Origins

Origin of venerate¹

C17: from Latin venerārī, from venus love

Example Sentences

Seeking eternal life, he learns the secret of 72 Transformations from a venerated Buddhist teacher and then becomes an irreverent show-off.

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In the process, she become a San Francisco institution, as venerated as the Golden Gate Bridge and beloved as the city’s tangy sourdough bread.

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At the Butovo firing range, a Stalin-era execution site near Moscow that has become a shrine to his victims, visiting Russians warned against venerating the wartime leader or emulating his ideas.

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The royal family is venerated in Thailand, treated by many as semi-divine figures and lavished with glowing media coverage and gold-adorned portraits hanging in public spaces and private homes nationwide.

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Mary is also a venerated figure in Islam.

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Related Words

• cherish 
• esteem 
• exalt 
• hallow 
• idolize