beatify

verb

be·​at·​i·​fy bē-ˈa-tə-ˌfī How to pronounce beatify (audio)
beatified; beatifying

transitive verb

1
: to make supremely happy
2
Christianity : to declare to have attained the blessedness of heaven and authorize the title "Blessed" and limited public religious honor
She was beatified six years after her death.
beatification noun

Examples of beatify in a Sentence

She was beatified by the Pope one hundred years after her death.
Recent Examples on the Web He was beatified in the Roman Catholic Church in 2017, putting him one step closer to canonization. Marina Johnson, Detroit Free Press, 16 Feb. 2023 Pope Francis beatified Casey for the healing of retired teacher, Paula Medina Zarate, who prayed at his tomb and was cured of a genetic disease. Marina Johnson, Detroit Free Press, 16 Feb. 2023 The Roman Catholic Church will beatify two priests and two lay people Saturday, all victims of right-wing death squads during El Salvador’s civil war. Marcos AlemÁn, ajc, 22 Jan. 2022 Leading the charge to beatify Rittenhouse is Fox News personality Tucker Carlson, without question the most powerful Republican in the country not named Donald Trump. David Faris, The Week, 23 Nov. 2021 During the decades-long wait for the Vatican to beatify the doctor, many Venezuelans were lighting candles in his name and placing images of him on their personal altars. New York Times, 1 Aug. 2021 Sheen, who before his death in 1979 was famous for his radio and TV preaching, had been scheduled to be beatified — the last step before sainthood — in a ceremony in Peoria on Dec. 21. Washington Post, 12 Dec. 2019 Pope John Paul II -- who in 1979 became the first pontiff to visit Mexico -- beatified then canonized Diego as a saint. Laura Rodríguez, chicagotribune.com, 11 Dec. 2019 Dehon, who founded the priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus religious order in 1877, likely would have been beatified had Pope John Paul II lived a few weeks longer. Washington Post, 6 Dec. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'beatify.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French beatifier, borrowed from Late Latin beātificāre, verbal derivative of Latin beātificus "making happy" — more at beatific

First Known Use

1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of beatify was in 1535

Dictionary Entries Near beatify

Cite this Entry

“Beatify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beatify. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

beatify

verb
be·​at·​i·​fy bē-ˈat-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce beatify (audio)
beatified; beatifying
: to declare to have reached the blessedness of heaven
beatification noun
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