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Forms of Worship

This list of 60 words refers to forms of worship - not specific religions or belief systems, but rather terms that denote a specific object of worship, be it saints, snakes or whatever. Related word lists you might want to check out are those for philosophical 'isms' and ecclesiastical terms. The words in this list mostly end in "-latry", from the Greek latreuein, to worship. While my wife might object, it is clear that my own reverence for words makes me a grammatolater. I suspect that this list may be rather incomplete, since people worship all kinds of crazy things these days.


Word Definition
aischrolatry worship of filth, dirt, or smut
allotheism belief in or worship of strange gods
angelolatry worship of or belief in angels
anthropolatry worship of human beings
arborolatry worship of trees
archaeolatry worship of archaic things or old customs
astrolatry worship of stars
autolatry self-worship
bardolatry excessive devotion to or worship of Shakespeare
bibliolatry worship of the Bible or other books
Christolatry worship of Christ
cosmolatry worship of the world
cynolatry worship of dogs
demonolatry worship of or devotion to demons
dendrolatry worship of trees
ecclesiolatry excessive devotion to church tradition and form
epeolatry worship of words
episcopolatry worship of bishops
gamidolatry worship of marriage
gastrolatry gluttony; excessive love of food
geolatry earth-worship
grammatolatry worship of letters and words
gyniolatry deep respect or devotion for women
hagiolatry worship or reverence for saints
heliolatry sun worship
hierolatry worship of saints or sacred things
hygeiolatry excessive devotion to health
ichthyolatry the worship of fish
iconolatry image-worship
ideolatry worship of ideas
idiolatry self-worship; egotism
idolatry worship of idols
ignicolist fire-worshipper
litholatry stone-worship
lordolatry worship of nobility
Mariolatry worship of the virgin mother
martyrolatry excessive devotion to martyrs
mechanolatry worship of machines
monolatry worship of one god without excluding belief in others
necrolatry worship of the dead
neolatry worship of novelty
onolatry worship of asses or donkeys
ophiolatry worship of snakes
ophism snake-worship
pandemonism worship of spirits dwelling in all forms of nature
parthenolatry worship of the Virgin Mary
patriolatry excessive devotion or worship of one's native country
physiolatry nature-worship
planetolatry worship of the planets
plutolatry worship of wealth
poetolatry worship of poets
pseudolatry false worship
pyrolatry fire-worship
selenolatry worship of the moon
statolatry worship of the state
staurolatry worship of the cross or crucifix
symbolatry undue worship of symbols
thaumatolatry worship of miracles or wonders
theriolatry animal-worship
zoolatry excessive devotion to animals or pets


I hope you have found this site to be useful. If you have any corrections, additions, or comments, please contact me. Please note that I am not able to respond to all requests. Please consult a major dictionary before e-mailing your query. All material on this page © 1996-2021 Stephen Chrisomalis. Links to this page may be made without permission.

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