veneration
Americannoun
-
the act of venerating.
-
the state of being venerated.
-
the feeling of a person who venerates; a feeling of awe, respect, etc.; reverence.
They were filled with veneration for their priests.
- Antonyms:
- disrespect
-
an expression of this feeling.
A memorial was erected in veneration of the dead of both world wars.
noun
-
a feeling or expression of awe or reverence
-
the act of venerating or the state of being venerated
Related Words
See respect.
Other Word Forms
- unvenerative adjective
- venerational adjective
- venerative adjective
- veneratively adverb
- venerativeness noun
Etymology
Origin of veneration
1400–50; late Middle English < Latin venerātiōn- (stem of venerātiō ), equivalent to venerāt ( us ) ( venerate ) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
Veneration is similar to worship or respect: we feel veneration for things and people we adore and are devoted to completely. This is a strong word. The main meaning is for a type of religious zeal: if you unquestionably believe in your religion, then you feel and show veneration for your god and beliefs. Also, veneration can apply outside religion when you have enormous respect for something or someone. Great people like Martin Luther King or Mother Theresa inspire veneration. If you feel a combination of awe and love for someone, you are full of veneration.
Vocabulary lists containing veneration
Pride and Prejudice
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 Federalist Papers, No. 14 by James Madison
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!
Society and Solitude
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.
Ms. Gage, who teaches American history at Yale, presents the book as an attempt, timed for the semiquincentennial, to improve the contemporary “national historical dialogue, which tends to emphasize veneration or damnation over real understanding.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
He receives his due — at times, veneration — for the luminous courage that held together a loose coalition of colonies against the world’s foremost military power.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2025
The bone fragments have since been distributed to countries like Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar, where they remain objects of veneration.
From BBC • Jul. 31, 2025
And although the streaming boom has had its drawbacks, it has also unearthed and popularized worthy cult classics, giving them a new life and the long-deserved veneration they deserve.
From Salon • Jun. 9, 2025
He was overwhelmed by a feeling of great love, of the most humble veneration.
From "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse
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.
