reverential

adjective

Definition of reverentialnext
as in pious
formal showing or having a lot of respect a reverential attitude They spoke in reverential terms about their recently departed spiritual advisor.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of reverential Rather than offering a reverential homage, the concept recalls the original’s aggressive sophistication, while integrating bleeding-edge advancements. — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 17 June 2026 The Followers have bent elbows and knees and prayerful cupped hands, and often move with little birdlike hops around the Preacher (Jai Perez), who presides with proud posture and reverential knee-hinges to the floor. — Jennifer Homans, New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2026 Penguins players lingered on the ice, hoping for a reverential handshake. — Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 12 Apr. 2026 But Marshals the standalone spinoff takes a backseat to Marshals the reverential sequel. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 27 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for reverential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reverential
  1. pious
  2. respectful
  3. spiritual
  4. reverent
  5. religious
  6. worshipful
Adjective
  • Preachers and patricians constantly warned that, if allowed to live unchecked in the city, Jews would ‘infect’ the Christian faithful, poisoning the minds of the pious and stealing souls away from salvation.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Romania is one of the most pious countries in the European Union, with around 85% of the population identifying as religious.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of pious
Adjective
  • Fern wrote Sandra for her without telling her and, despite having been friends for a number of years by this point, sent the script to her agent to keep matters formal and respectful.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
  • His career reflected many of the values that Civics 250 seeks to teach – most notably bipartisanship and respectful dialogue.
    — Clarine Nardi Riddle, Hartford Courant, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of respectful
Adjective
  • When the crown proves capable of betrayal, Garfield sees the break as spiritual as much as political.
    — JP Mangalindan, Time, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Experts suspect the pigment may be cinnabar, a mercury sulfide mineral that held immense spiritual and ritualistic value for the Chimu, explicitly reserved for high-ranking members of society.
    — Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of spiritual
Adjective
  • But the bigger issue is that Tenzing keeps its title character and his closest ally (to say nothing of all the smaller characters around them) at a reverent distance, rendering them in broad strokes rather than fine shading.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Around them, an aristocratic winemaker defines his legacy, a legendary maître d’hôtel seeks his heir, and a reverent wine critic pursues the sublime.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of reverent
Adjective
  • Netanyahu’s government, the most ultranationalist and religious in Israel’s history, has presided over a surge of settlement construction in the West Bank.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Netanyahu’s government is the most ultranationalist and religious in Israel’s history.
    — Ibrahim Hazboun, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of religious
Adjective
  • After a while, though, all the professions of sincerity and thanks, the constant invocations of the one true POTUS, and the worshipful exhibits upstairs give the whole place a cultish, nostalgic gleam.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 4 June 2026
  • The secret in the biscuits is the pairing of cheddar with bacon, with the overall result being worshipful thanks from those who are lucky enough to partake.
    — Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 25 May 2026
Definition of worshipful

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Cite this Entry

“Reverential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reverential. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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