reverend

/'revərənd/

Thân thiện

The reverend leads the Sunday service at the small church.

Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Worthy of deep respect and veneration: Describes someone or something that commands profound respect, often due to a sacred or highly esteemed nature.

2. Noun:

   • A title of respect for a member of the Christian clergy: Used as a formal title before the name of a priest or minister.
   • A member of the clergy; a spiritual leader of the Christian Church: Refers to the person who holds such a title and office.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • The reverend sage offered wisdom to the villagers. (The deeply respected sage offered wisdom to the villagers.)
  • They entered the reverend silence of the ancient cathedral. (They entered the deeply respectful silence of the ancient cathedral.)

• Noun (as a title):

  • We spoke with Reverend Davis after the service. (We spoke with the clergyman titled Reverend Davis after the service.)
  • The invitation was addressed to the Rev. A. Jones. (The invitation was addressed to the clergyman titled Rev. A. Jones.)

• Noun (referring to the person):

  • The reverend gave a powerful sermon on Sunday. (The member of the clergy gave a powerful sermon on Sunday.)
  • Several reverends from different denominations attended the conference. (Several clergy members from different denominations attended the conference.)

Advanced Usage

• "The Reverend" (Full Title): The standard formal title when addressing or referring to a Protestant minister, Anglican priest, or other Christian clergy. It is typically used with the full name (e.g., ).
• Abbreviations: Commonly abbreviated as or , especially in written form.
• Hierarchical Modifiers: In some Christian traditions, additional honorifics precede "Reverend" to denote rank:
  • The Right Reverend (often for a bishop).
  • The Most Reverend (often for an archbishop or metropolitan).

Variants and Related Words

• Reverence (n.): A feeling of profound awe and respect.
  • She held the ancient text in deep reverence.
• Reverent (adj.): Feeling or showing deep and solemn respect.
  • The congregation was reverent during the prayer.
• Reverential (adj.): Of the nature of, due to, or characterized by reverence.
  • He spoke in a reverential tone about his mentor.

Synonyms

• Adjective: Venerable, respected, esteemed, august.
• Noun (for the person): Clergyman, clergywoman, minister, pastor, priest, parson.

Related Phrases

• "Your Reverence": A formal, somewhat archaic form of address for a member of the clergy, particularly in some Catholic and Anglican contexts.
  • "Your Reverence, the parishioners are waiting."

Notes on Usage

• When used as a title, "Reverend" is not a stand-alone form of address. One would not say, "Hello, Reverend." Instead, it is used with the surname or full name: "Hello, Reverend Smith."
• The word is capitalized when it forms part of a title (e.g., ) but not when used as a general adjective (e.g., ).
• While primarily associated with Christian clergy, the adjective form can be applied more broadly to any deeply respected person or thing.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. worthy of adoration or reverence

Noun

1. a title of respect for a clergyman
2. a member of the clergy and a spiritual leader of the Christian Church

Từ đồng nghĩa

• sublime
• Reverend
• clergyman
• man of the cloth