deity

noun de·i·ty \ ˈdē-ə-tē , ˈdā- \

|Updated on: 6 Aug 2018

Examples: deity in a Sentence

Definition of deity

plural deities

1 a : the rank or essential nature of a god : divinity

b capitalized : god 1, supreme being

2 : a god (see ¹god 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

See deity defined for English-language learners

See deity defined for kids

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 of deity from the Web

Shakespeare specialist, musical theater star, minor Broadway deity.

— daryl h. miller, latimes.com, "With 'Broadway and the Bard,' Len Cariou helps us hear the music in Shakespeare," 29 June 2018
Lynch, Roeg, Russell, and Anger may be my cinematic deities, forging completely new worlds with each project, but Carpenter is my Cinematic Hero.

— simon abrams, The Hollywood Reporter, "Did 'A Quiet Place' Take Enough Risks?," 16 Apr. 2018
The fibers earned their nickname from the goddess of fire, a powerful and majestic deity from Hawaiian mythology.

— marie salcido, Sunset, "Hawaii’s Big Island Is Growing…Hair?!," 22 Jan. 2018
But Rama Bijapurkar, a marketing consultant, argues that these are the wrong deities for ambitious Indian women to pray to.

— The Economist, "Culture and the labour market keep India’s women at home," 5 July 2018
Ancient Greek deities are often depicted with long, flowing hair as a sign of power and divinity (picture Zeus, Venus, and Apollo).

— Allure, "Women From Three Faith Communities Share How Their Long Hair and Spirituality Are Connected," 17 May 2018
As Hawaii endures a week-long eruption of the Kilauea volcano on the Big Island, some Hawaiians have an idea of who might be behind it all: Pele, the honored female deity of fire.

— hannah wiley, USA TODAY, "Pele: Who is Hawaii's volcanic fire goddess?," 10 May 2018
Now 86, Foster hadn’t produced an album since 2007 – and that one featured country deities Merle Haggard and Ray Price.

— nancy kruh, PEOPLE.com, "Meet Dawn Landes: All About This Country Newcomer — Including Her Amazing Connections to Loretta and Dolly," 14 June 2018
Until this period, theologians used counterfactuals only as a way to prove God’s goodness, and Divine Providence—the deity as all-powerful, all-knowing, and all goodness.

— lorraine boissoneault, Smithsonian, "What if Napoleon Hadn’t Lost Europe and Other Questions of Alternate History," 14 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'deity.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of deity

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year