veneration

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noun ven·er·a·tion \ ˌve-nə-ˈrā-shən \

Definition of veneration

1 :respect or awe inspired by the dignity, wisdom, dedication, or talent of a person

2 :the act of venerating

3 :the condition of one that is venerated

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Recent Examples of veneration from the Web

Those who want to demolish monuments of Confederate figures argue that these statues have become objects of veneration for white supremacists and neo-Nazis.

— andrés oppenheimer, miamiherald, "Don’t destroy the statues of Robert E. Lee and ‘Che’ Guevara. I have a better idea.," 23 Aug. 2017
The start and end of the protest mark days of Catholic veneration.

— jim gomez, The Seattle Times, "Philippine churches to ring bells to protest drug killings," 20 Aug. 2017
He isn't surprised by the violence, the racial tensions, the veneration of Confederate monuments or the rhetoric coming from America's highest office.

— molly blue, OregonLive.com, "Same game, new name: It's the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl," 18 Aug. 2017
The Confederate monuments erected across the country represent a similar rejection of American democracy and pluralism, as my colleague Yoni Appelbaum has noted, making them sites of veneration for white nationalists from coast to coast.

— matt ford, The Atlantic, "The Statues of Unliberty," 14 Aug. 2017
In 1968, archaeologists discovered evidence beneath the Byzantine church for a Roman-era home that had already evolved into a communal center of veneration by the end of the first century.

— National Geographic, "The Real Story Behind the "House of Jesus' Apostles" Discovery," 7 Aug. 2017
Thus, Bannon’s veneration of the good ol’ days of antiquity is hardly unique.

— alex siquig, GQ, "Steve Bannon's Favorite Ancient Greeks," 27 June 2017
From an object of veneration in some ancient Egyptian temples—and even the namesake of an entire city, Crocodilopolis—the species was extinct along the lower Nile by the 1950s as people encroached on its habitat.

— National Geographic, "Crocodile Poaching Booms as Egypt Tourism Crumbles," 23 June 2017
But for now, Romney appears willing to revel solely in the veneration from his network, even if not from Trump's.

— theodore schleifer, CNN, "Republican fundraisers can stomach Trump -- if only he'd call," 10 June 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of veneration

Middle English veneracioun, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French veneratiun, borrowed from Latin venerātiōn-, venerātiō "act of soliciting the good will (of a deity), demonstration of respect or awe," from venerārī "to solicit the good will of (a deity), hold in awe, venerate" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns

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First Known Use: 15th century

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VENERATION Defined for Kids

veneration

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noun ven·er·a·tion \ ˌve-nə-ˈrā-shən \

Definition of veneration for Students

1 :the act of showing respect for :the state of being shown respect

2 :a feeling of deep respect

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See words that rhyme with veneration Spanish Central: Translation of veneration Nglish: Translation of veneration for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of veneration for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about veneration

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veneration

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