beatific
adjective
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Beatific Has Latin Roots
When it comes to bliss-themed words, it’s hard to beat beatific. Since the 17th century, beatific has been all about that other b-word, first describing things that impart a feeling of complete and utter happiness, and later those beings with a blissful appearance. Not a bad gig if you can get it. Beatific comes from the Latin adjective beātificus, which means “making happy,” and can be traced further back to the verb beāre, meaning “to make happy.” Bliss, of course, is more like happiness cubed, so beatific tends to be used in formal speech and writing, and reserved for situations where happy itself doesn’t quite cut the mustard. A beatific smile, for example, is one that suggests its wearer is content on a deeper-than-ordinary level, while a beatific location—say, a tranquil tropical lagoon or a majestic mountain—is one that instills such pervasive joy in its beholder.
Examples of beatific in a Sentence
Mikal Gilmore, Rolling Stone, 17 Jan. 2025
Zurbarán’s touching canvas of a beatific sheep with curly white hair; his poetic and exquisitely crafted still lifes, featuring crystalline vessels and pieces of fruit; and his great religious paintings—with works such as these only two hours from Paris, Lyon is the place to be.
—airmail.news, 30 Nov. 2024
Imogene begins to doubt her own worthiness of portraying the virgin mother, depicted as a beatific figure in a painting in the church foyer.
—Stephen Humphries, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Dec. 2024
But Close gives her character a reassuring stillness and a beatific smile, which generally serve as a calming influence on Sophia.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Beatific.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beatific. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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beatific
adjective
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