divinity

English

Etymology

From Old French divinité, from Latin divinitas. Composed of divine +‎ -ity. Displaced native Old English godcundnes.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /dɪˈvɪnɪti/
  • (US, Canada, Australia) IPA(key): /dɪˈvɪnɪti/, [dɪˈvɪnɪɾi]
    • Audio (Maryland, US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɪnɪti

Noun

divinity (countable and uncountable, plural divinities)

  1. (uncountable) The state, position, or fact of being a god or God. [from 14th c.]
    Synonyms: deity, godhead, godhood, godliness, godship
    Antonyms: indivinity, nondivinity
    Coordinate terms: quasi-divinity, deification
    1. (countable) Synonym of deity.
      Synonyms: god, goddess, see Thesaurus:god
      You may leave out where you live and use either initials or an alias, since gods, buddhas and other divinities look only at our hearts.
      • 1920, Edward Carpenter, Pagan and Christian Creeds, New York: Harcourt, Brace and Co., published 1921, page 13:
        At the base of the whole process by which divinities and demons were created, and rites for their propitiation and placation established, lay Fear - fear stimulating the imagination to fantastic activity.
    2. A celestial being inferior to a supreme God but superior to man.
      Near-synonyms: demigod, semigod
      • 1705, George Cheyne, The Philosophical Principles of Religion Natural and Revealed, volume 1, London, page 4:
        These beings are derogatory from the wisdom and power of the author of nature, who doubtless can govern this machin he cou’d create, by more direct and easie methods, than employing these subservient divinities.
  3. (uncountable) The study of religion or religions.
    Synonyms: godlore, theology
    I studied divinity at Harvard Divinity School.
  4. (US, cooking) A fudge-like confectionery made with egg whites, corn syrup, and white sugar.
    Coordinate term: seafoam
    • 2023 December 22, Rick Rojas, “Explaining the South on Instagram, One Custom at a Time”, in The New York Times‎[1], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 9 November 2025:
      A lot of it is food: Grits, fried green tomatoes, sweet potato pie, divinity, corn nuggets, hot tamales and crawfish are just some of the delicacies he has discussed.

Derived terms

Translations

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