Synonyms

reverently

American

[rev-er-uhnt-lee, rev-ruhnt-lee] / ˈrɛv ər ənt li, ˈrɛv rənt li /

adverb

in a way that exhibits deep respect or veneration.

When the Mass finally ended, the urn was reverently placed in the front seat of an old fire truck, which led the long funeral procession up the steep hillside to the cemetery.
The nun spoke reverently about the need to respect the spiritual beliefs of Native peoples.

Other Word Forms

nonreverently adverb
unreverently adverb

Etymology

Origin of reverently

reverent ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Muivah studied briefly in Beijing's College of Diplomacy, visited Vietnam and came back speaking reverently of Mao and Zhou Enlai - though he would later fuse their ideology with a deeply Christian nationalism.

From BBC • Oct. 27, 2025

Francis said, gazing reverently at the box’s contents.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 24, 2025

Anything that takes the Olympics less than reverently would be welcome.

From New York Times • Jun. 6, 2024

Combs, one of country music's biggest stars, reverently explained that he did not wish to revise Chapman’s flawless art.

From Salon • Feb. 7, 2024

He had resurrected it reverently, rubbed it down, put it together, and varnished it.

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023