Apotheosise

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To raise someone or something to an exalted divine status, glorifying their attributes, while portraying them as a figure of heroic significance and moral perfection
2. The act of elevating an individual to a godlike status, idealizing their qualities, and presenting them as a flawless embodiment of virtues and excellence
3. To exalt a person or entity to the level of a deity, attributing supreme excellence and ideal traits

Etymology: Ancient Greek used "theos" for "god," and "apotheoun" meant "to make into a god" or "to deify." The Greek noun "apotheosis" meant the act of deification, and the Romans borrowed it as "apotheosis," which is the form English took. The notion behind it was concrete: emperors and heroes were believed to be lifted up into the company of the gods after death. English later added the verb "-ize" to the noun, producing "apotheosize," a word that moves from literal divine elevation to figurative praise. Today it is more often used of a person elevated to an idealized, flawless status than of a literal god. The British spelling "apotheosise" is simply the alternative form of the same verb, built on the same Greek stem.

Synonyms: glorify, deify