Beatitude
noun /biˈæt.ɪ.tjuːd/ — Supreme blessedness; perfect happiness
Definition
Supreme blessedness or happiness — the highest possible state of spiritual joy. In Christianity, the Beatitudes are the declarations of blessing made by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.
Beyond the definition
Happiness elevated to a spiritual condition. Beatitude is not just joy — it is joy that has a quality of rightness, of being in exactly the state one is meant to be in.
Origin & history
From Latin 'beatitudo' (happiness, blessedness) — from 'beatus' (blessed, happy). Related to 'beatific', 'beatify'. The state of being blessed — happiness as a form of grace.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The Beatitudes invert ordinary expectations: the poor in spirit, the meek, the mourning are declared blessed.
There was a beatitude in his expression that afternoon — the look of someone who has stopped wanting anything they don't already have.
Beatitude is happiness that has arrived — not the happiness of getting something but the happiness of no longer needing to get anything.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Beatitude” when the meaning fits your context: Supreme blessedness or happiness — the highest possible state of spiritual joy. In Christianity, the Beatitudes are the declarations of blessing made by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.
Synonyms
Antonyms
misery, wretchedness, damnation
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Joy on Hilltop
An individual stands on a sunlit hilltop with arms raised, their face turned toward the sky in a moment of pure bliss.
The high, uninhibited joy and the feeling of being transported by the vast landscape represent the state of supreme blessedness and spiritual happiness defined as beatitude.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Beatitude" mean?
Beatitude is noun meaning: Supreme blessedness; perfect happiness. Supreme blessedness or happiness — the highest possible state of spiritual joy. In Christianity, the Beatitudes are the declarations of blessing made by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.
Where does the word "Beatitude" come from?
From Latin 'beatitudo' (happiness, blessedness) — from 'beatus' (blessed, happy). Related to 'beatific', 'beatify'. The state of being blessed — happiness as a form of grace.