deity

noun

de·​i·​ty ˈdē-ə-tē  ˈdā- 

plural deities

1

a

: the rank or essential nature of a god : divinity

b

capitalized : god sense 1, supreme being

2

: a god (see god entry 1 sense 2) or goddess

the deities of ancient Greece

3

: one exalted or revered as supremely good or powerful

such established American deities as Daniel Boone, Kit Carson

—J. D. Hart

the deities of the banking world

Synonyms

• god

Examples of deity in a Sentence

to the ancient Greeks, Zeus was the deity who ruled over the sky and weather, and Poseidon was god of the sea

we prayed to the Deity for guidance

Recent Examples on the Web

On my table balances a Sculpey clay figurine of the Egyptian deity Ptah mashed with Unicron, whose wings serve the dual purpose of cape and sculpture brace. —Lana Lin september 29, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025

Martínez zeroed in on the ruins of the large temple of Taposiris Magna, located in what’s now the town of Borg El Arab, despite the fact that there was no information about which deity the temple was for or who built it. —Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2025

The festival, held at Estancia High School in Costa Mesa, will include meals, music, dancing and puja, a Hindu ritual of worship performed to honor and establish a connection with a deity or sacred presence. —Gabrielle Gillette, Oc Register, 23 Sep. 2025

Star athletes are worshipped as minor deities in the real world. —Brian Truitt, USA Today, 20 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English deitee, from Anglo-French deité, from Late Latin deitat-, deitas, from Latin deus god; akin to Old English Tīw, god of war, Latin divus god, dies day, Greek dios heavenly, Sanskrit deva heavenly, god

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for deity

• contemporaneity
• heterogeneity
• inhomogeneity
• homogeneity
• simultaneity
• spontaneity

Kids Definition

deity

noun

de·​i·​ty ˈdē-ət-ē 

plural deities

1

a

: divinity sense 2

b

capitalized : god sense 1

the Deity

2

a

: god sense 2

b

: goddess sense 1

Etymology

Middle English deitee "the nature of being divine," from early French deité (same meaning), derived from Latin deus "god" — related to adieu, adios