god

I

(Roget's IV) n.

1. [A supernatural being]

Syn. deity, male deity, divinity, divine being, superhuman being, spirit, numen, power, tutelary, Olympian, Valhallan, demigod, demiurge, oversoul, prime mover, godhead, omnipotence, world spirit, world soul, universal life force, infinite spirit, totem, idol, demon, daimon, daemon.

Greek gods and their Roman counterparts include: Zeus, Jupiter, Jove; Phoebus, Phoebus Apollo, Apollo; Ares, Mars; Hermes, Mercury; Poseidon, Neptune; Hephaestus, Vulcan; Dionysus, Bacchus; Hades, Pluto; Kronos, Saturn; Eros, Cupid. Norse gods, known as the AeSir and Vanir, include: Aegir, Bragi, Balder, Frey, Freyr, Heimdall, Höder, Hoenir, Loki, Odin, Woden, Wotan, Thor, Donar, Tyr, Tiu, Ull, Ullr, Vali, Vidar, Ymir. Hindu and Brahmanic gods include: Agni, Dyaus, Ganesa, Ganpati, Hanuman, Indra, Marut, Savitar, Soma, Surya, Varuna, Vayu, Yama. The avatars of Vishnu include: Buddha, Kalki, Karma, Krishna, Matsya, Narsinh, Parshuram, Rama, Vaman, Varah, Jagannath. Egyptian gods include: Anubis, Bast, Horus; Isis, Khem, Min, Neph, Nephthys, Nut, OSiris, Ptah, Ra, Amun, Amen-Ra, Set, Shu, Thoth. Other gods include: Baal, Moloch, Shamash ( all Semitic); Dagon (Philistine); Astarte, Ashtoreth ( both Phoenician); Anu, Bel, Ea ( all Babylonian); Quetzalcoatl (Mexican). For specific female deities see also goddess .

2. [ Capitalized , the Jewish-Christian-Islamic deity]

Syn. Lord, Jehovah, Yahweh, YHWH, Jhvh, Adonai, Allah, the Almighty, the King of Kings, the Omnipotent, the Compassionate, the Merciful, Lord of Mercies, the Godhead, the Creator, the Maker, the Supreme Being, the Ruler of Heaven, the All-holy, the Everlasting, the Divine Author, Our Father in Heaven, Almighty God, God Almighty, the Preserver, the Deity, the Divinity, the Omniscient, Providence, the All-knowing, the Infinite Spirit, the Absolute, the Infinite, the Eternal, I Am, the All-father, the Author of All Things, the First Cause, the Lord of Lords, the Supreme Soul, the All-wise, the All-merciful, the All-powerful.

3. [ Capitalized , the Christian deity]

Syn. the Trinity, the Holy Trinity, the Triune God, Threefold Unity, Three in One and One in Three; Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; Holy Spirit, Paraclete; God the Son, Jesus Christ, Christ, Jesus, Jesus of Nazareth, the Nazarene, the Galilean, the Man of Sorrows, the Messiah, the Savior, the Redeemer, the Advocate, the Son of God, the Son of Man, the Son of Mary, the Only Begotten, the Lamb, the Lamb of God, Immanuel, Emmanuel, the King of Glory, the King of the Jews, the Prince of Peace, the Good Shepherd, the Way, the Truth, the Life, the Light, the Christ Child.

4. [ Capitalized , the supreme deity of other religions]

Syn. Brahman, the Supreme Soul, Atman, the Universal Self, Brahma, the Creator, Vishnu, the Preserver, Shiva, the Destroyer ( all Hinduism); Adibuddha, the Primordial Buddha (Buddhism); Ahura Mazda, Ormazd (Zoroastrianism).

II

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) n.

1. god Supreme Being, Father in Heaven, Heavenly Father, the Almighty, Kings, the Creator, Brahma, Allah, Adonai, Lord, Jehovah, Holy Spirit, the Man Upstairs. ''Love.''—The Bible. ''A superior reasoning power . . . revealed in the incomprehensible universe.''—Albert Einstein. ''Conscience.''—Mohandas Gandhi. ''A light that is never darkened.''—Francis Quarles. ''A mighty fortress.''—Martin Luther. ''Personified incomprehensibility.''— George Lichtenberg. ''That which has no definition.''—Joseph Albo. ''A vengeful, pitiless, and almighty fiend.''—Percy Bysshe Shelley. ''An infantile fantasy . . . necessary when men did not know what lightning was.''—Edward Anhalt. ''A gaseous vertebrate.''—Ernst Haeckel.

2. deity goddess, divinity, spirit, idol.

ANT.: 1. the Devil, Satan, Lucifer, Prince of Darkness. 2. mortal, physical being

WORD FIND

• appearance of: theophany

• belief in god other than that of Jewish, Christian or Muslim faith: paganism

• cry of praise to God: hosanna

• disbelief in: atheism

• disbeliever: atheist

• half god, half human: demigod

• Hindu deity on earth: avatar

• human traits imagined in: anthropomorphism

• humans created by God not evolved, belief that: creationism

• Latin: Deus

• one, belief in more than: polytheism

• one, belief in only: monotheism

• questioner of God’s existence: agnostic

• questioning of God’s existence: agnosticism

• Son of God: Jesus Christ

• study of: theology

• universe and its natural laws are God, belief that: pantheism

see church, mythical deities, religion