veneration
ven-uh-RAY-shuhn
/ˌven.əˈreɪ.ʃən/
Great respect; reverence; the act of honoring a holy person, relic, or sacred object.
Veneration is more active and ritualistic than reverence. It often involves physical acts of devotion, such as bowing, kissing a relic, or offering incense.
The story behind the word. Veneration comes from the Latin venerari, meaning to worship or revere. This verb is directly derived from Venus, the Roman goddess of love, beauty, and desire. To venerate someone was originally to approach them with love, desire, and deep affection.
Word relationships
- reverence: Reverence is the internal feeling of deep respect and awe, while veneration is the external, active expression of that respect.
- adoration: Worship or profound love, often reserved strictly for a deity, whereas veneration can be directed at holy humans or objects.
- irreverence: A lack of respect for sacred or serious matters.
- desecration: The act of treating something sacred with violent disrespect.
Commonly confused with
- worship: Worship is the supreme adoration offered to a deity alone, while veneration is high honor paid to holy people (like saints) or sacred objects.
Word family
- venerate (verb): To regard with great respect or revere.
- venerable (adjective): Accorded a great deal of respect, especially because of age, wisdom, or character.
Collocations
- deep veneration
- veneration of relics
- object of veneration
- treat with veneration
Example sentences
- "The ancient manuscript was handled with extreme veneration, touched only with white silk gloves." Describing the treatment of historical artifacts.
- "The veneration of saints is a central practice in many traditional Christian communities." Describing religious devotion to a saint.
Memory hook
Think of a venerable old man receiving veneration from his family because of his wisdom. Active, ritualistic respect.
When not to use
Do not use for general respect for a peer or a simple polite nod; it requires a profound, almost worshipful level of honor.
Fun facts
- The title 'Venerable' is used in the Catholic Church as a step toward sainthood, and in Buddhism to address ordained monks and nuns.
Also appears in
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