reverential

adjective

rev·​er·​en·​tial ˌre-və-ˈren(t)-shəl How to pronounce reverential (audio)
1
: expressing or having a quality of reverence
reverential awe
2
: inspiring reverence
reverentially adverb

Examples of reverential in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But there is also something meticulous and almost reverential in the gesture — an acknowledgment that this food is precious and requires a gentle touch. Ligaya Mishan Kyoko Hamada, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024 Over its five-season run, Breaking Bad would go on to win 16 Emmy’s and inspire a fandom that was equal parts reverential and rabid. Paolo Confino, Fortune, 26 Dec. 2023 For a moment, the young female looked back at its audience of roughly 45 people who stared on in reverential silence. Jesse Bedayn, Fortune, 20 Dec. 2023 Folk, at least for some, became a backward glance to a distant past, nostalgic and reverential. Adam Bradley Justin French, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2023 This reverential tone garnered him the attention of Belgian colonial officials, and even an audience with Baudouin, when the King visited Congo in 1955. Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2023 As a writer, the massive amount of transcripts and documents from many judiciary investigations commands a sort of reverential respect. Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 10 Oct. 2023 But these songs are not so much referential as reverential: meditative daybreak etudes capable of conveying the feeling that all is right in the world. Pitchfork, 28 Sep. 2023 Some danced for hours straight; others stood still, hands clasped to chests, reverential, tears streaming down their faces. Jenna Wortham, New York Times, 27 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reverential.' 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 Medieval Latin reverentiālis, from Latin reverentia reverence entry 1 + -ālis -al entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of reverential was circa 1555

Dictionary Entries Near reverential

Cite this Entry

“Reverential.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reverential. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

reverential

adjective
rev·​er·​en·​tial ˌrev-ə-ˈren-chəl How to pronounce reverential (audio)
1
: showing or having a quality of reverence
2
: inspiring reverence
reverentially adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on reverential

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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