Obsecration

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A passionate request made to a divinity for assistance or intervention
2. A fervent and humble appeal directed towards a divine power seeking help or guidance
3. A serious and heartfelt entreaty addressed to a god requesting aid or mercy

Etymology: Obsecration comes from Latin "obsecratio," a noun built from "obsecrare," meaning "to entreat" or "to beseech." The verb is itself formed from "ob-" (toward, before) and "sacrare" (to consecrate, from "sacer," sacred), so the word carries the sense of calling upon something holy in the course of making a plea. Religious usage shaped its English career: it names an earnest appeal to God or the saints, most often heard in litanies and liturgical petitions. English took the word from Latin, and its use has stayed largely within religious and formal writing. Its near relative "obsecrate," the verb, is the more common form in older texts, and the noun is generally found where a prayer is being described as an urgent, humble request rather than a formal act of worship.

Synonyms: supplication, entreaty