What does revered mean?
Revered means regarded with profound respect, admiration, and esteem. It is commonly used for people whose character, achievements, or influence have inspired deep admiration, as well as for traditions, institutions, artworks, and other things regarded as important or exemplary. The word is more expressive than respected and often implies a lasting or widely shared reputation. As a verb form, revered is the past tense and past participle of revere, meaning to regard someone or something with deep respect. In careful prose, revered can suggest not only admiration but also a degree of reverence, the feeling of holding a person or thing in high honor. The term is formal and common in writing about cultural figures, religious or civic traditions, historic landmarks, and influential bodies of work. It is not limited to British or American usage and is understood throughout modern English.
Regarded with deep respect and admiration; held in high esteem.
"The revered scholar founded the institute in 1952."
Commonly applied to people, institutions, traditions, and works that have established a lasting reputation for excellence, importance, or influence.
To regard with deep respect and admiration; revere.
"Critics revered the director for her uncompromising approach to cinema."
This is the past tense and past participle of the verb revere.
Revered carries the sense of looking up to someone or something, combining admiration with a strong sense of respect.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does revered come from?
Revered comes from the English verb revere, which was borrowed from French reverer and ultimately from Latin revereri, “to respect” or “to venerate.” The Latin verb developed from re-, meaning “back” or “again,” and vereri, “to fear,” reflecting an earlier sense of respecting or being respectful toward something. In English, revere developed into the past tense and past participle revered, while related forms include reverence, reverent, and reverend.
Related word forms
How revered is actually used
The word is formal and often suggests stronger or more enduring respect than simply being well regarded. It is frequently applied to public figures, cultural figures, institutions, traditions, and works.
Easily confused with revered
Revered describes a person or thing that is regarded with deep respect, whereas reverent describes conduct or an attitude showing reverence.