venerable Hear it!

venerable definition

ven·er·able (ven′ər ə bəl)

adjective

  1. worthy of respect or reverence by reason of age and dignity, character, or position
  2. impressive on account of age or historic or religious associations a venerable monument
    1. Anglican Ch. a title of reverence for an archdeacon
    2. R.C.Ch. a title of veneration for a dead person who may later be beatified

Etymology: ME < MFr vénérable < L venerabilis, to be reverenced < venerari: see venerate

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

venerable Synonyms

venerable

modif.

  1. Old

    aged, hoary, ancient; see old 3.

  2. Having qualities becoming to age

    revered, reverenced, honored, honorable, noble, august, grand, esteemed, respected, dignified, imposing, grave, serious, sage, wise, philosophical, experienced.

    Antonyms inexperienced*, callow*, raw.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

venerable Usage Examples

Modifies a noun

  • martyr: Kontakion of the venerable martyrs, in Tone II: Spec.

Modifying Another Word

  • so: He abhorred a vain ostentation of wit in handling sacred truths, so venerable and grave, and of eternal consequence.
venerable usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

venerable quotes

Beautiful city! so venerable, so lovely, so unravaged by the fierce intellectual life of our century, so serene!†whispering from her towers the last enchantments of the Middle Age† Home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names, and impossible loyalties!

-Arnold, Matthew

The world, that grey-bearded and wrinkled profligate, decrepit, without being venerable.

-Hawthorne, Nathaniel

The old man puffed into sight like a venerable battlewagon pressing up over the horizon. First a smudge of smoke, then the long cigar, then the familiar, stoop-shouldered hulk that a generation has come to know as the silhouette of greatness.

-Time

venerable quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Link to this page:

Cite this page:

MLA Style

"venerable." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/venerable>

APA Style

venerable. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/venerable

Comments:

Please or Register to post a comment