God-fearing

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Archived revision by 2001:a61:2a79:be01:c9bf:91b0:1282:eaf0 (talk) as of 15:14, 11 November 2019.
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See also: godfearing and god-fearing

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From God +‎ fearing, likely a continuation (in altered form) of earlier Middle English goddfrihti, gode-frigti (god-fearing), variants of Middle English godfriht, gode-friht, godfruht, god-furht, from Old English godfyrht, godefriht (god-fearing). Cognate with Gothic 𐌲𐌿𐌳𐌰𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌷𐍄𐍃 (gudafaurhts, god-fearing, devout).

Adjective

God-fearing (comparative more God-fearing, superlative most God-fearing)

  1. (religion) Following the precepts of a religious practice; respecting and revering God and His authority.
    Margie married Bill, a good, God-fearing Christian.
    • 1898, Winston Churchill, chapter 10, in The Celebrity:
      The skipper Mr. Cooke had hired at Far Harbor was a God-fearing man with a luke warm interest in his new billet and employer, and had only been prevailed upon to take charge of the yacht after the offer of an emolument equal to half a year's sea pay of an ensign in the navy.

Translations

See also