venerable

venerable
/ven"euhr euh beuhl/, adj.
1. commanding respect because of great age or impressive dignity; worthy of veneration or reverence, as because of high office or noble character: a venerable member of Congress.
2. a title for someone proclaimed by the Roman Catholic Church to have attained the first degree of sanctity or of an Anglican archdeacon.
3. (of places, buildings, etc.) hallowed by religious, historic, or other lofty associations: the venerable halls of the abbey.
4. impressive or interesting because of age, antique appearance, etc.: a venerable oak tree.
5. extremely old or obsolete; ancient: a venerable automobile.
n.
6. a venerable person.
[1400-50; late ME < L venerabilis, equiv. to venera(ri) to VENERATE + -bilis -BLE]

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title
Latin  Venerabilis,  

      title or respectful form of address, used from very early times in Europe, especially for certain clergy or for laymen of marked spiritual merit. St. Augustine in some epistles cited the term in reference to bishops, and Philip I of France was styled venerabilis and venerandus (“reverential”). The venerable by which Saint Bede is commonly known (“the Venerable Bede,” or “Bede the Venerable”) survives from a contemporary practice of so addressing bishops and abbots and, posthumously, worthy clerics such as Bede.

      In the Roman Catholic Church (Roman Catholicism), the title “Venerable” is bestowed on a deceased person in the first of three stages leading to beatification (with the title of “Blessed”) and canonization (with the title of “Saint”). The candidate to these higher honours becomes “Venerable” when his or her case has been officially accepted by the Sacred Congregation of Rites and when a special papal decree announces the candidacy, asserting that the person had virtues of heroic degree or had suffered martyrdom.

      Priests of the Carthusian order (other than the prior-general) are addressed as “Venerable” (rather than “Reverend,” as in other orders).

      In the Church of England, venerable is the proper title of address for an archdeacon.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • vénérable — [ venerabl ] adj. et n. • 1200; lat. venerabilis ♦ Littér. ou plaisant Digne de vénération. « Un vénérable vieillard orné d un cornet acoustique » (Martin du Gard). Par ext. D un âge vénérable : très vieux. ⇒ respectable. Cette vénérable… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Venerable — equivale a respetable y digno de estima y honor. Este adjetivo, derivado del sustantivo veneratio, que significa respeto y culto, mantiene una significación unitaria en toda la serie de vocablos (venerabilitas, venerantia) cuyas acepciones están… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Venerable — Vénérable Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Vénérable fait référence aux concepts et objets suivant : Dans le catholicisme, vénérable est un titre donné à une personne dont le… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Venerable — Ven er*a*ble, a. [L. venerabilis: cf. F. v[ e]n[ e]rable.] 1. Capable of being venerated; worthy of veneration or reverence; deserving of honor and respect; generally implying an advanced age; as, a venerable magistrate; a venerable parent. [1913 …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • venerable — Venerable. adj. de tout genre. Digne de veneration. Vieillard venerable. assemblée venerable. c est un homme venerable par son âge & par son merite. les habits pontificaux ont quelque chose de venerable. Venerable, est aussi, Un titre d honneur… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • venerable — [ven′ər ə bəl] adj. [ME < MFr vénérable < L venerabilis, to be reverenced < venerari: see VENERATE] 1. worthy of respect or reverence by reason of age and dignity, character, or position 2. impressive on account of age or historic or… …   English World dictionary

  • venerable — index antique, outstanding (prominent), popular, sacrosanct, solemn Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • venerable — early 15c., from L. venerabilis, from venerari to worship, revere (see VENERATION (Cf. veneration)). As a title, used in reference to ecclesiastics or those who had obtained the first degree of canonization …   Etymology dictionary

  • venerable — *old, ancient, antique, antiquated, archaic, obsolete, antediluvian Analogous words: venerated, revered, reverenced (see REVERE): *aged, old …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • venerable — [adj] respected admirable, aged, august, dignified, esteemed, estimable, experienced, grand, grave, honorable, honored, imposing, matriarchal, noble, patriarchal, philosophical, revered, reverenced, reverend, sacred, sage, sedate, serious,… …   New thesaurus

  • venerable — Venerable, digne qu on luy face la reverence, et qu on l honore, Veþnerabilis …   Thresor de la langue françoyse

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