Reverence
/ˈrɛv.ər.əns/noun
Deep respect or awe for someone or something considered sacred, important, or deeply admirable.
Did you know?Reverence comes through Latin from a verb that meant “to stand in awe of” or “to fear,” showing how respect and sacred fear were once the same emotional force.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wer-
“to watch, be wary, perceive”
Latin
Latin
reverērī
“to stand in awe of, respect, fear”
Old French
Old French
reverence
“respect, deference, awe”
Middle English
English
reverence
“deep respect or awe, especially toward the sacred”
Modern English
English
reverence
“deep respect or veneration”