Definition of GOD (original) (raw)
1
God : the supreme or ultimate reality: such as
a
: the being perfect in power, wisdom, and goodness who is worshipped (as in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism) as creator and ruler of the universe
Throughout the patristic and medieval periods, Christian theologians taught that God created the universe …—
James Schaefer
… the Supreme Being or God, the personal form of the Ultimate Reality, is conceived by Hindus as having various aspects.—Sunita Pant Bansal
b
Christian Science : the incorporeal divine Principle ruling over all as eternal Spirit : infinite Mind
2
or less commonly God : a being or object that is worshipped as having more than natural attributes and powers
specifically : one controlling a particular aspect or part of reality
Greek gods of love and war
3
: a person or thing of supreme value
had photos of baseball's gods pinned to his bedroom wall
4
: a powerful ruler
Hollywood gods that control our movies' fates
Synonyms of god
Examples of god in a Sentence
Noun
Does she believe in God? I pray to God that no one was seriously injured in the accident. the gods and goddesses of ancient Egypt a myth about the god of war an offering for the gods a professor who was regarded as a kind of god a guitar god like Jimi Hendrix
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
They have been associated with gods as well as virtues such as faith. —Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026 The image doesn’t mean the basketball gods have already penciled Dybantsa into Brooklyn’s future. —C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 8 May 2026 For years, visitors to Edouard Duval-Carrié’s Little Haiti studio would find among his glittery and translucent historical figures and Vodou gods a story the artist could not shrug. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 May 2026 Talked to some of the higher gods above, give them my thanks and just take a few breaths and get ready for the arena. —Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for god
Word History
Etymology
Noun and Verb
Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German got god
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
1595, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of god was before the 12th century
Browse Nearby Words
Cite this Entry
“God.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/god. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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