Standard Lemma guide

Mariolatry

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌmɛːɹiˈɒlətɹi/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌmæ-/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˌmɛɹiˈɑlətɹi/

1

noun

Meaning 1

Adoration or veneration of the Virgin Mary to an extent regarded as inappropriate or even idolatrous.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, derogatory, uncountable

Topics: Christianity, Protestantism

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Marianolatry

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Latin Marīa or English Mary (“the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ”) + -o- + -latry, modelled after idolatry. The English word is cognate with French mariolâtrie, Italian mariolatria, Late Latin mariolatria.

Across languages

Translations

6 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • French: mariolâtrie — adoration or veneration of the Virgin Mary to an extent regarded as inappropriate or even idolatrous
  • German: Mariolatrie — adoration or veneration of the Virgin Mary to an extent regarded as inappropriate or even idolatrous
  • Italian: mariolatria — adoration or veneration of the Virgin Mary to an extent regarded as inappropriate or even idolatrous
  • Latin: mariolatria — adoration or veneration of the Virgin Mary to an extent regarded as inappropriate or even idolatrous
  • Serbo-Croatian: mariolatrija — adoration or veneration of the Virgin Mary to an extent regarded as inappropriate or even idolatrous
  • Serbo-Croatian: marijanska pobožnost — adoration or veneration of the Virgin Mary to an extent regarded as inappropriate or even idolatrous