Reverence, n.
Etymology: [F. révérence, L. reverentia. See Reverent.]
1. Profound respect and esteem mingled with fear and affection, as for a holy being or place; the disposition to revere; veneration. If thou be poor, farewell thy reverence. Chaucer. Reverence, which is the synthesis of love and fear. Coleridge. When discords, and quarrels, and factions, are carried openly and audaciously, it is a sign the reverence of government islost. Bacon.
Note: Formerly, as in Chaucer, reverence denoted "respect" "honor", without awe or fear.
2. The act of revering; a token of respect or veneration; an obeisance. Make twenty reverences upon receiving . . . about twopence. Goldsmith. And each of them doeth all his diligence To do unto the feast reverence. Chaucer.
3. That which deserves or exacts manifestations of reverence; reverend character; dignity; state. I am forced to lay my reverence by. Shak.
2 more senses
4. A person entitled to be revered; -- a title applied to priests or other ministers with the pronouns his or your; sometimes poetically to a father. Shak. Save your reverence, Saving your reverence, an apologetical phrase for an unseemly expression made in the presence of a priest or clergyman. -- Sir reverence, a contracted form of Save your reverence. Such a one as a man may not speak of, without he say. "Sir reverence." Shak. -- To do reverence, to show reverence or honor; to perform an act of reverence. Now lies he there, And none so poor to do him reverence. Shak.
Syn. -- Awe; honor; veneration; adoratuon; dread. -- Awe, Reverence, Dread, Veneration. Reverence is a strong sentiment of respect and esteem, sometimes mingled slightly with fear; as, reverence for the divine law. Awe is a mixed feeling of sublimity and dread in view of something great or terrible, sublime or sacred; as, awe at the divine presence. It does not necessarily imply love. Dread is an anxious fear in view of an impending evil; as, dread of punishment. Veneration is reverence in its strongest manifestations. It is the highest emotion we can exercise toward human beings. Exalted and noble objects produce reverence; terrific and threatening objects awaken dread; a sense of the divine presence fills us with awe; a union of wisdom and virtue in one who is advanced in years inspires us with veneration.
1 other Webster entry under this spelling
Reverence, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Reverenced; p. pr. & vb. n. Reverencing.]
To regard or treat with reverence; to regard with respect and affection mingled with fear; to venerate. Let . . . the wife see that she reverence her husband. Eph. v. 33. Those that I reverence those I fear, the wise. Shak.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for reverence; he lists it under venerate, veneration.
Where he writes about it:
In the highest sense, to revere or reverence is to hold in mingled love and honor with something of sacred fear, as for that which while lovely is sublimely exalted and brings upon us by contrast a sense of our unworthiness or inferiority; to revere is a wholly spiritual act; to reverence is often, tho not necessarily, to give outward expression to the reverential feeling; we revere or reverence the divine majesty. — from venerate
Revere is a stronger word than reverence or venerate. — from venerate
To venerate is to hold in exalted honor without fear, and is applied to objects less removed from ourselves than those we revere, being said especially of aged persons, of places or objects having sacred associations, and of abstractions; we venerate an aged pastor, the dust of heroes or martyrs, lofty virtue or self-sacrifice, or some great cause, as that of civil or religious liberty; we do not venerate God, but revere or reverence him. — from venerate
Reverence and veneration are less overwhelming than awe or dread, and suggest something of esteem, affection, and personal nearness. — from veneration
We may feel awe of that which we can not reverence, as a grandly terrible ocean storm; awe of the divine presence is more distant and less trustful than reverence. — from veneration
Adoration, in its full sense, is loftier than veneration, less restrained and awed than reverence, and with more of the spirit of direct, active, and joyful worship. — from veneration