Lucifer

noun

Lu·​ci·​fer ˈlü-sə-fər 

1

—used as a name of the devil

2

: the planet Venus when appearing as the morning star

3

not capitalized : a friction match having as active substances antimony sulfide and potassium chlorate

Luciferian

ˌlü-sə-ˈfir-ē-ən 

adjective

Synonyms

• archfiend
• Beelzebub
• devil
• fiend
• Old Nick
• Satan
• serpent

Examples of Lucifer in a Sentence

Lucifer is depicted as a powerful but proud angel who leads a revolt against heaven.

Recent Examples on the Web

Ellis, who headlined Lucifer for its six-season run on Fox and Netflix, recently did a season-long arc on Hulu’s Tell Me Lies and will play a lead opposite Sterling K. Brown on the upcoming Hulu limited series Washington Black. —Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 22 Apr. 2025

Though the actor has played a U.S. president in 24 and God in Lucifer, fans recognize him most as the face of Allstate Insurance, having starred in the company’s commercials since 2013. —Emily Blackwood, People.com, 21 Apr. 2025

In the source material, Lucifer Morningstar (Gwendoline Christie) leaves Hell, locks its gates, and gives the key to Dream. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025

Add to that mix the confused identity of the show, trying to be equal parts Lucifer, Hannibal, and Supernatural, and there just isn’t much to recommend it. —Nola Pfau, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2025

Created and written by Sean Steinberg, the show is being produced by Adam Thal under The Star Film Company banner and Lucifer actress Lesley-Ann Brandt. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 17 Apr. 2025

The end of the first season saw Dream (Tom Sturridge) endeavor to become a gentler overlord of the Dreaming; meanwhile, Gwendoline Christie's malevolent Lucifer Morningstar plots with Roger Allam's Lord Azazel to foil Dream's plans, and wreak havoc on the entire waking world. —Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2025

And Answers For Friday, April 4 Capital One-Discover Merger Cleared By DOJ: What To Know About The $35 Billion Mega Deal ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3: Here’s A Roundup Of Picks Of Who Will Die In Season Finale Another program that benefited from Netflix was Lucifer. —Brad Adgate, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025

That already makes this Mohanlal-starring sequel to 2019's Lucifer the fifth highest-grossing Malayalam language film of all time. —Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 30 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "the morning star, a fallen rebel archangel, the Devil," going back to Old English, borrowed from Latin Lūcifer "morning star," noun derivative of lūcifer "light-bringing, light-bearing," from lūc-, lūx "light" + -i- -i- + -fer -fer — more at light entry 1

Note: In patristic Latin Lūcifer was taken to be a name for the Devil of Christianity, based on the use of the word in the Vulgate rendering of Isaiah 14:12, where it translates Hebrew hêlēl, taken to mean "the shining one."

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

Lucifer

noun

Lu·​ci·​fer ˈlü-sə-fər 

: devil entry 1 sense 1

Etymology

Old English Lucifer "the morning star, a fallen angel, the Devil," from Latin Lucifer "the morning star, bearer of light," derived from luc-, lux "light" and -fer "bearing"

Word Origin

What we sometimes call "the morning star" is really the planet Venus. The Romans called it Lucifer, meaning "bearer of light," because it appeared in the sky just before sunrise. So when, in the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah says, in describing the downfall of the king of Babylon, "How are you fallen from heaven, O Morning Star, son of dawn," the "Morning Star" became Lucifer in the Latin translation. Early Christians thought that Isaiah was also referring to the devil, who had likewise "fallen from heaven." Thus the word Lucifer came to be applied to the devil.