Meaning & use
divine reality
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Meanings
noununcountable
The ultimate sacred power or state that many religions and philosophies say lies behind everything that exists.
Grammar: No plural and no article when you mean it in general: 'a belief in divine reality'.
Patterns
- belief in divine reality
- the nature of divine reality
- experience divine reality
- divine reality as something
Mystics often describe divine reality as something that can be felt rather than proved.
For many believers, prayer is a way of drawing closer to divine reality.
Philosophers still argue about whether divine reality can be known through reason alone.
nouncountableformal
A particular religion's or thinker's idea of what that sacred power or state is like.
Grammar: Countable here, so it takes an or the and can be plural: 'two very different divine realities'.
Patterns
- a divine reality
- different divine realities
- one's own divine reality
The two traditions describe quite different divine realities, even though they use similar words.
Her book compares the divine reality of medieval Christianity with that of early Islam.
Common combinations
- a belief in divine reality
- His belief in divine reality shaped every decision he made.
- an experience of divine reality
- She wrote about a sudden experience of divine reality during meditation.
- the nature of divine reality
- The course examines the nature of divine reality in several world religions.
- to encounter divine reality
- The poem suggests that we encounter divine reality in ordinary moments.
- a vision of divine reality
- The painting offers a vision of divine reality full of light and calm.
Synonyms and how they differ
- God
- Names the supreme being directly and personally; 'divine reality' is vaguer and can describe an impersonal force or state.
- the divine
- Close in meaning but often used as a general abstract noun, while 'divine reality' stresses that this sacred thing truly exists.
- the sacred
- Refers to what is holy or set apart; 'divine reality' adds the idea of a real, existing power behind appearances.
- the absolute
- A philosophical term for the ultimate reality; it need not be religious, whereas 'divine reality' usually carries religious feeling.
Word family
Commonly confused: divine reality or reality? divine reality or divination?
divine reality vs reality
On its own it means the way things actually are; with 'divine' in front it means a sacred or ultimate level of existence, not everyday facts.
divine reality vs divination
Sounds similar but means the practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown, not a sacred reality.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'divine reality' most naturally?
Choose one answer.
'Divine reality' is an abstract religious or philosophical idea, so it fits sentences about belief, experience and the sacred. Option 0 fails because it is not something measured in a lab, and options 2 and 3 treat it as a physical object, which it is not.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “divine reality”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.