What does glorification mean?
Glorification is the formal act or process of praising, celebrating, or exalting someone or something. It commonly describes public honouring of a person, accomplishment, or institution, as in the glorification of a national hero or a remarkable scientific achievement. The word can have a critical edge when it implies exaggerated or undeserved adulation, although its basic connotation remains favourable. In Christian theology, glorification has a more specific meaning: sharing in God's glory, and, particularly in belief about death and resurrection, the transformation of the redeemed into a perfected state. This religious sense helps explain why the word may sound more solemn than ordinary praise or celebration. Derived from the Latin vocabulary of glory, glorification is especially useful when a context calls for a more elevated or ceremonial term than praise.
nounThe act of praising, celebrating, or exalting someone or something. In theology, it refers to the sharing of God's glory or the transformation of the redeemed into a perfected state.
- The act of praising, celebrating, or exalting a person, achievement, quality, or event.
- In theology, the act or state of declaring God glorious or sharing in God's glory.
- The transformation of a person into a perfected or glorified state, especially in Christian belief concerning the redeemed.
"The ceremony was a solemn occasion for the glorification of the volunteers whose efforts had saved the community."
"The documentary became an occasion for the glorification of the country's scientific achievements."
"Theologists describe the resurrection as the glorification of Christ's human nature."
The plural is uncommon because the word is usually singular or used as a mass noun.
"The programme contained separate sections devoted to the glorifications of science, sport, and art."
The word literally means “the making glorious”: its Latin ancestor combines glory with the verb facere, meaning “to make.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does glorification come from?
Glorification comes through Middle English from Latin glōrificātiō, a noun formed from glōrificāre, meaning “to glorify.” Latin glōrificāre combines glōria, “glory,” with facere, “to make,” and the English words glorious, glorify, and glorifier belong to the same root family. The word has long been used in religious writing as well as in descriptions of public celebration.
How glorification is actually used
The word is formal and often carries a strongly positive, ceremonial tone. It can also suggest excessive or uncritical praise, depending on context.