What does "deification" mean?
The act of deifying; exaltation to divine honors; apotheosis.
Deification
noun
noun ·5 syllables ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act of deifying; exaltation to divine honors; apotheosis.
- Grammar: deification is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: apotheosis, accolade, admiration, adoration.
- Useful contrasts: desecration, pumpkinification, secularization.
- Usage evidence: The urge to worship something could be described as a deification syndrome.
How to use "deification"
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Meaning check
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Source and review context
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Before you rely on this definition
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "deification" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
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Final meaning check
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act of deifying; exaltation to divine honors; apotheosis. uncountable, usually
- 2 the elevation of a person (as to the status of a god) wordnet
- 3 Excessive praise. uncountable, usually
- 4 an embodiment of the qualities of a god wordnet
- 5 A deified embodiment. uncountable, usually
"We went through the main hall, four-armed Amaat looming, the air still smelling of incense and the heap of flowers at the god's feet and knees, back to a tiny chapel tucked into a corner, dedicated to an old and now-obscure provincial god, one of those personifications of abstract concepts so many pantheons hold, in this case a deification of legitimate political authority."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 the condition of being treated like a god wordnet
- 7 Union with God; theosis. uncountable, usually
"There is an experiential component to Maximos’ writings: he draws upon the reality of the contemplative life and in doing so secures deification as the goal of the monastic spiritual life in Orthodoxy."
Example
"The urge to worship something could be described as a deification syndrome."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "deification"?
Common synonyms include: apotheosis, accolade, admiration, adoration, adulation, aggrandizement.
How do you use "deification" in a sentence?
The urge to worship something could be described as a deification syndrome.
Etymology
From Middle English deificacion, from Middle French deifier + -acion or borrowed directly from Latin deificātiō(n), from deific(ā) (“deify”) + -tiō(n) (noun suffix), from de(i) (“god”) + -ficō (“make”). By surface analysis, deif(y) + -ication. * In the Christian, theological sense, influenced by the use of deificātiō(n) as Latin translation of Byzantine Greek θέωσις (théōsis).