reverence

Definition

Veneration; profound awe and respect, normally in a sacred context.

Etymology

From Middle English reverence (noun) and reverencen (verb), from Old French reverence and Latin reverentia, from Latin revereor (“I stand in awe, respect, revere”), from re- + vereor, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wer- (“to cover, heed, notice”).

Example Sentences

• "August 2, 1758, Oliver Goldsmith, A Letter from a Traveller Make twenty reverences upon receiving […] about twopence."
• "When discords, and quarrels, and factions, are carried openly and audaciously, it is a sign the reverence of government is lost."
• "Your Reverence"