ancestral veneration

Meaning

1. 1noununcountablereligion

   The practice of honoring and remembering dead family members through rituals, offerings or prayers, often believing they still influence the living.

   Grammar: Not used with an or plural: ancestral veneration is widespread.

   Patterns

   • ancestral veneration in a culture
   • ancestral veneration of someone

   Ancestral veneration is a central tradition in many East Asian families.

   The shrine at home is a sign of ancestral veneration.

   Scholars study ancestral veneration to understand how communities remember their past.

Common combinations

practice ancestral veneration

Many families practice ancestral veneration at the new year.

rituals of ancestral veneration

Rituals of ancestral veneration include burning incense.

tradition of ancestral veneration

The tradition of ancestral veneration goes back thousands of years.

ancestral veneration in

Ancestral veneration in Africa takes many forms.

Synonyms and how they differ

ancestor worship

Ancestor worship is the more common phrase, but it suggests the dead are treated as gods, which many people consider inaccurate.

ancestor reverence

Ancestor reverence stresses deep respect and is less common in textbooks.

filial piety

Filial piety is the duty of respect to parents and elders, which is related but not the same as honoring the dead.

Word family

ancestor noun

a family member who lived long ago

ancestral adjective

belonging to ancestors

venerate verb

to treat with deep respect

veneration noun

deep respect or reverence

Commonly confused: ancestral veneration or ancestral worship? ancestral veneration or vegetation?

Practice

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