reverential
/ˌɹɛvəˈɹɛnʃəl/
reverential means showing or characterized by reverence; respectful. It carries an Arena rating of 1529, earned across 53 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, reverential ranks #2,268 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #6,376 of 17,128 for Most Ponderous Words, #7,109 of 17,130 for Most Beautiful Words, #7,189 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words.
reverential is pronounced /ˌɹɛvəˈɹɛnʃəl/.
Why “reverential” is a great word
REVERENTIAL — [Adjective] Showing or characterized by deep respect and veneration. From Medieval Latin 'reverentiālis', from Latin 'reverentia' ("reverence, awe") + the adjectival suffix '-ālis' ("pertaining to"). First recorded in English 1545–55. Unlike "deferential," which suggests a polite yielding to hierarchy, or "irreverent," which is a breezy dismissal of the sacred, "reverential" describes a posture of profound, almost sacred awe. It is the bowed head in a vaulted cathedral, the gloved handling of a centuries-old manuscript, the hushed step taken before a sleeping great-grandparent—a formal architecture of attention we build against the tide of our own indifference.
Etymology
From Medieval Latin reverentiālis, from Latin reverentia (“reverence”) + -ālis (adjectival suffix).
adj
- Showing or characterized by reverence; respectful.
noun
- Someone or something that is reverential.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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