deity
/ˈdeɪɪti
/ /ˈdiːɪti/noun (plural deities)
1A god or goddess (in a polytheistic religion): a deity of ancient Greece...
- The Celtic religion features many female deities such as a mother goddesses and war goddesses.
- It may also lead to the assimilation of folk deities with Vedic religion.
- It is directed to a pantheon of deities, gods and goddesses, each of whom are housed in their own shrine.
Synonyms
god, goddess, divine being, celestial being, supreme being, divinity, immortal;
creator, demiurge;
godhead;
daemon, numen;
Hinduism avatar
1.1 [mass noun] Divine status, quality, or nature: a ruler driven by delusions of deity...
- Upon his death in 1377, the emperor decided to honor him posthumously by bestowing on him the status of deity in charge of protecting the land.
- Such thoughts can take people of high status from deity to human.
- In India, Sachin Tendulkar is the brightest of stars, a hero whose epic deeds have stirred a nation and whose status is close to deity.
1.2 (usually the Deity) The creator and supreme being (in a monotheistic religion such as Christianity): she raised her head as if appealing to the Deity presiding over the church...
- Therefore he appears as the Deity to accept the worship and obeisances of His devotees.
- At festivals we decorate and honor her, but we do not worship her in the sense that we worship the Deity.
- Darshan of God in the outer temple is generally dualistic; we are perceiving the Deity as separate from us.
1.3A representation of a god or goddess, such as a statue or carving: also on show is a bronze falcon deity...
- Bronze deities to beautify the living room shelves are on display.
- You'll be a bronze deity by comparison, no matter how pale you may feel at home.
- In Deity carving, Gods are made with male stones and Goddesses with female stones.
Origin
Middle English (denoting the divine nature of God): from Old French deite, from ecclesiastical Latin deitas (translating Greek theotēs), from deus 'god'.