What does divinity mean?
Divinity refers to the quality or state of being divine — the essence attributed to a god or to something godlike. It can denote an individual deity ('ancient divinities'), refer to God in Christian usage, or name the formal academic discipline of theology, as in a Doctor of Divinity. The word carries an elevated, reverent tone and appears most often in religious, literary, and philosophical writing, though it is also used figuratively to describe transcendent beauty or artistry. Its Latin root, from 'divinitas' via Old French, ties it to a family of words including 'divine' and 'deity'. A curious unrelated sense exists in North America, where 'divinity' names a fluffy, sugary confection — a sweetness once thought fit for heaven itself.
The state or quality of being divine; the nature or essence of a god.
"Poets have long tried to capture the divinity that believers sense in creation."
A god or goddess; a divine being.
"The Romans worshipped many divinities, each governing a different aspect of life."
The study of religion and theology; often used in academic titles such as Doctor of Divinity.
"He lectured in divinity at Oxford for two decades."
The plural typically refers to multiple gods or deities rather than to the abstract quality of divineness, which is usually uncountable.
"Greek mythology is populated by a vast array of divinities."
In American candy lore, 'divinity' is also a melt-in-the-mouth white fudge — named because its taste was considered positively heavenly.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of divinity
Divinity comes from Latin 'divinitas' (divine nature), derived from 'divinus' (divine), which traces back to 'divus', meaning god or deity. The word entered Middle English through Old French 'divinite' around the fourteenth century, initially carrying strong theological weight. It shares its root with 'divine', 'deity', and 'deify'. By extension, it later came to label the scholarly study of religion, hence degrees such as Doctor of Divinity.
How divinity is actually used
Formal register throughout; common in religious, literary, and academic contexts. In North America, 'divinity' can also denote a soft meringue-like candy, a sense unrelated to theology.
Easily confused with divinity
A deity is a god or godlike being itself, while divinity is the abstract quality of being divine (though 'divinity' can also mean a god).
A divan is a type of sofa or council chamber and shares no meaning with divinity despite a similar spelling.