Word
idolatry
Phoneticsidol·a·try
US/aɪˈdɑɫətɹi/
UK/aɪdˈɒlətɹˌi/
Definition
n. the act of worshiping a person or thing as if they were a god. It can also mean having an extremely high level of respect or admiration for someone.
n. the worship of a person or thing as a deity; the excessive veneration of a person or object. Often used metaphorically to describe intense, almost religious devotion to a celebrity or a specific belief.
Examples
“The fans showed their idolatry for the famous singer.”
“The philosopher criticized the idolatry of the new technology, arguing that people were treating it as a god rather than a tool.”
“While the early church sought to eliminate idolatry from public life, modern secular societies often face a different form of the same problem in the form of consumerist worship.”
Examples
simple
“The fans showed their idolatry for the famous singer.”
contextual
“The philosopher criticized the idolatry of the new technology, arguing that people were treating it as a god rather than a tool.”
complex
“While the early church sought to eliminate idolatry from public life, modern secular societies often face a different form of the same problem in the form of consumerist worship.”
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English ydolatrie, from Old French idolatrie, from Ecclesiastical Latin īdōlatrīa, from Late Latin īdōlolatrīa, from Ancient Greek εἰδωλολατρίᾱ (eidōlolatríā, “worship of idols”), back-formation from εἰδωλολάτρης (eidōlolátrēs), from εἴδωλον (eídōlon, “idol”) & λάτρις (látris, “worshipper”) or λατρεύω (latreúō, “I worship”), from λάτρον (látron, “payment”). Equivalent to idol + -latry. Cognate with Modern French idolâtrie, Italian idolatria, Occitan ydolatria, Portuguese idolatria, and Spanish idolatría. Displaced native Old English dēofolġield (literally “devil worship”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/idolatry