What does hagiolatry mean?
Hagiolatry is a formal and usually critical term for worship of saints, especially when that devotion is considered excessive, distorted, or improperly focused. It comes from Greek components meaning “holy” and “worship,” but English usage has generally carried a negative judgment: saying that a practice is hagiolatry implies that reverence has become something closer to idolatry. The word is therefore more than a neutral label for saint veneration and is commonly deployed in theological debate, historical writing, or criticism of religious institutions. Its rarity gives it a technical, learned quality, and context matters: saints may be venerated respectfully without the accusation. Even so, the word is useful because it names a specific concern about the limits and forms of devotion. Hagiolatries is the usual plural, although plural use is uncommon in general writing.
nounExcessive veneration or worship of saints, especially when regarded as improper or excessive.
- Excessive veneration or worship of saints.
"The historian condemned the elaborate ritual as little more than hagiolatry."
"The monk warned that veneration of relics had slipped into hagiolatry."
"The critic dismissed the entire cult as pure hagiolatry."
The standard plural form, though it is rarely needed because the word itself is uncommon.
"The debates over saint cults included several accusations of hagiolatries."
Its Greek roots mean “holy worship,” but the word itself is usually deployed to suggest that reverence has gone too far.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hagiolatry come from?
Hagiolatry entered English in the early 17th century from Medieval Latin hagiolatria. Its ultimate components are Greek hagios, meaning “holy,” and latreia, meaning “worship” or “service.” Related English words such as hagiography and hagiology preserve the same Greek element for “holy.”
Related word forms
How hagiolatry is actually used
A formal, relatively uncommon word used chiefly in theological, historical, literary, or critical contexts. It normally carries a negative judgment and should not be used as a neutral term for ordinary respect shown to saints.
Easily confused with hagiolatry
Hagiolatry means the veneration or worship of saints, whereas hagiography is a biography of a saint or a written account of a holy life.