Lucifer

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noun (1)

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

lucifer : a friction match having as active substances antimony sulfide and potassium chlorate

Luciferian

ˌlü-sə-ˈfir-ē-ən 

adjective

Luciferian

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noun (2)

Lu·​ci·​fe·​ri·​an ¦lü-sə-¦fir-ē-ən 

plural -s

: an adherent of a schismatic sect of the early Christian church advocating a rigorous attitude toward repentant Arians

Luciferian

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adjective (1)

Lu·​ci·​fe·​ri·​an ¦lü-sə-¦fir-ē-ən 

: of or relating to the Luciferians of the early Christian church

Luciferian

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adjective (2)

Lu·​ci·​fe·​ri·​an ¦lü-sə-¦fir-ē-ən 

: of, relating to, or having the quality of evil or pride attributed to Lucifer : devilish, satanic

gave him at times a certain Luciferian, a dreadful, but an heroic aspect

—Hervey Allen

Luciferian

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noun (3)

Lu·​ci·​fe·​ri·​an ¦lü-sə-¦fir-ē-ən 

plural -s

: a member of a 19th century party of Satan worshipers believed to hold black masses

Synonyms of Lucifer

Noun (1)

• Satan
• devil

Examples of Lucifer in a Sentence

Noun (1)

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

O'Keefe said Lucifer would have likely been played by Freeman or Carrey. — Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 25 May 2026

Her other credits include arcs on Burn Notice, Two and a Half Men, Suits, and Lucifer. — Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 22 May 2026

Since her Raymond days, Sweeten has become a part of the sketch comedy group TMI Hollywood, which was known for its long-running weekly parody live show, and had guest roles on series like Grey's Anatomy, Lucifer and Abbott Elementary. — Rachel Flynn, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026

And at the very center of Hell is Satan himself, the traitorous Archangel Lucifer, depicted as a monstrous creature with wings and three heads. — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 11 May 2026

From the fiery lake of damnation, Lucifer rises as Satan to seduce humanity’s first parents, Adam and Eve, in the flawless Garden of Eden, triggering the Fall of Man and the loss of Paradise itself. — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026

Or the show is picked up by another network or streaming service, like Lucifer going from Fox to Netflix. — Frank Racioppi, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

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."

Noun (2)

Lucifer †a.d. 371? bishop of Cagliari, Sardinia + English -an, noun suffix

Adjective (1)

Lucifer †a.d. 371? + English -an, adjective suffix

Adjective (2)

Medieval Latin luciferianus, from Lucifer the devil, Satan (from Latin lucifer morning star) + Latin -ianus -an

Noun (3)

lucifer entry 1 + -an

First Known Use

Noun (1)

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

Noun

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.