deity

noun

de·​i·​ty ˈdē-ə-tē How to pronounce deity (audio) ˈdā- How to pronounce deity (audio)
plural deities
Synonyms of deitynext
1
a
: the rank or essential nature of a god or goddess : divinity
b
Deity : god sense 1, supreme being
2
: a god (see god entry 1 sense 2) or goddess
the deities of ancient Greece
3
: one exalted or revered as supremely good or powerful
… such established American deities as Daniel Boone, Kit Carson …—J. D. Hart
the deities of the banking world

Synonyms of deity

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Examples of deity in a Sentence

to the ancient Greeks, Zeus was the deity who ruled over the sky and weather, and Poseidon was god of the sea we prayed to the Deity for guidance
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Namaste is not the name of a deity in any Indian religion. — Jeremy David Engels, The Conversation, 23 June 2026 Instead, Chesnut said, indigenous people linked the figure with the death deities of their own ancient belief systems. — Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 7 June 2026 Evidence of this lies in the very names of the planets, which represented ancient deities, and of the five bright planets, the one whose color appeared to come closest to that of blood was called Mars in honor of the god of war. — Joe Rao, Space.com, 26 June 2026 Boars were representative at the time with Seth (or Set), a deity associated with chaos and violence in ancient Egyptian mythology. — Ahmed Shawkat, CBS News, 24 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for deity

Word History

Etymology

Middle English deitee, from Anglo-French deité, from Late Latin deitat-, deitas, from Latin deus god; akin to Old English Tīw, god of war, Latin divus god, dies day, Greek dios heavenly, Sanskrit deva heavenly, god

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of deity was in the 14th century

Rhymes for deity

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Browse Nearby Words

deith
deity
deixis
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Cite this Entry

“Deity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deity. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

deity

noun
de·​i·​ty ˈdē-ət-ē How to pronounce deity (audio)
plural deities
1
a
: divinity sense 2
b
capitalized : god sense 1
the Deity
2
a
: god sense 2
b
: goddess sense 1
Etymology

Middle English deitee "the nature of being divine," from early French deité (same meaning), derived from Latin deus "god" — related to adieu, adios

More from Merriam-Webster on deity

Nglish: Translation of deity for Spanish Speakers

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