god

The word “god” means a supernatural being worshipped as having power over nature or human affairs. In plain terms, a supreme or divine being, worshipped as all-powerful; also used loosely for anyone treated as amazing at what they do.

“God” is pronounced god (/ɡɑd/ in IPA).

Here is “god” used in a sentence: “Ancient Greek myths feature many gods and goddesses.”

Words with a similar meaning to “god” include godship, deity, divinity, manitou, sky daddy and sky fairy.

The opposite of “god” — its antonyms — are devil and satan.

Depending on how it is used, “god” can be a noun and a name.

The word “god” comes from Old English. From Old English god, an ancient Germanic word originally neuter in gender before shifting to masculine as Christianity spread — it is not related to the unrelated word "good," despite the similarity.

“God” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

The lowercase 'god' is a common noun for any deity, especially one of many in polytheistic religions — such as a god of war or the sea. Capitalized 'God' is a proper name for the single supreme being in monotheistic faiths like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The capital letter marks that specific, named deity.

The distinction is grammatical gender. A 'god' traditionally refers to a male deity, while a 'goddess' refers to a female one, such as the Greek goddess Athena. In many contexts 'god' is also used broadly to cover deities of any gender, much as 'gods' can describe a whole pantheon.

Many cultures name specific gods. In Greek mythology, Zeus is the god of the sky and king of the gods; Poseidon rules the sea. Norse myth has Thor, god of thunder. In monotheistic religions, believers worship a single God rather than many, so the word takes the capitalized proper form.