What does "idolatry" mean?
The worship of idols.
Idolatry
/aɪˈdɑ.lə.tɹi/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The worship of idols.
- Grammar: idolatry is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: idol worship, accolade, admiration, adoration.
- Useful contrasts: disillusionment, iconoclasm, latria.
- Usage evidence: Let not my love be called idolatry, nor my beloved as an idol show, since all alike my songs and praises be to one, of one, still such, and ever so.
How to use "idolatry"
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- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
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Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "idolatry" in a final draft.
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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 "idolatry" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
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Final meaning check
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 The worship of idols. countable, uncountable
"The parish stank of idolatry, abominable rites were practiced in secret, and in all the bounds there was no one had a more evil name for the black traffic than one Alison Sempill, who bode at the Skerburnfoot."
- 2 the worship of idols; the worship of physical objects or images as gods wordnet
- 3 The excessive admiration of somebody or something. countable, figuratively, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Let not my love be called idolatry, nor my beloved as an idol show, since all alike my songs and praises be to one, of one, still such, and ever so."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "idolatry"?
Common synonyms include: idol worship, accolade, admiration, adoration, adulation, affection.
How do you use "idolatry" in a sentence?
Let not my love be called idolatry, nor my beloved as an idol show, since all alike my songs and praises be to one, of one, still such, and ever so.
How do you pronounce "idolatry"?
Pronounced /aɪˈdɑ.lə.tɹi/.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English ydolatrie, from Old French idolatrie, from Ecclesiastical Latin īdōlatrīa, from Late Latin īdōlolatrīa, from Ancient Greek εἰδωλολατρίᾱ (eidōlolatríā, “worship of idols”), back-formation from εἰδωλολάτρης (eidōlolátrēs), from εἴδωλον (eídōlon, “idol”) & λάτρις (látris, “worshipper”) or λατρεύω (latreúō, “I worship”), from λάτρον (látron, “payment”). Equivalent to idol + -latry. Cognate with Modern French idolâtrie, Italian idolatria, Occitan ydolatria, Portuguese idolatria, and Spanish idolatría. Displaced native Old English dēofolġield (literally “devil worship”).