deity

[dee-i-tee]

noun

plural

deities 

1. a god or goddess.

2. divine character or nature, especially that of the Supreme Being; divinity.

3. the estate or rank of a god.

   The king attained deity after his death.

4. a person or thing revered as a god or goddess.

   a society in which money is the only deity.

5. the Deity, God; Supreme Being.

deity

¹

/ ˈdeɪtɪ, ˈdiːɪ- /

noun

1. a god or goddess

2. the state of being divine; godhead

3. the rank, status, or position of a god

4. the nature or character of God

Deity

²

/ ˈdeɪtɪ, ˈdiːɪ- /

noun

1. the Supreme Being; God

Other Word Forms

• superdeity noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of deity¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English deite, from Old French, from Late Latin deitāt- (stem of deitās ), equivalent to Latin dei- (combining form of deus “god”) + -tāt- -ty ², formed after Latin dīvīnitās divinity

Word History and Origins

Origin of deity¹

C14: from Old French, from Late Latin deitās, from Latin deus god

Example Sentences

And if Fox News and far-right conservatives are mad now, just wait until they find out Superman is taking swings at their Oval Office deity.

From Salon

But it also incorporates multiple arms holding specific sacred objects which became characteristic of how Hindu female deities were represented in later centuries.

From BBC

Meanwhile, the imagery encompasses everything from Anubis, the Egyptian deity of the dead, to Liesl’s blasphemously bejeweled rosary that comes to symbolize the temptation to turn into her dad.

From Los Angeles Times

They profess to be emissaries of a deity called “Sleep,” and title songs like “The Night Does Not Belong to God.”

From Los Angeles Times

Black folks, and Black women especially, recognized certain homages on sight: the recurring suggestions of Yoruba deities, the purposeful insertion of certain Black stars in specific scenes, the tributes to mothers living and ancestral.

From Salon

Related Words

• divinity 
• idol 
• immortal