genuflect

verb

gen·​u·​flect ˈjen-yə-ˌflekt How to pronounce genuflect (audio)
genuflected; genuflecting; genuflects

intransitive verb

1
a
: to bend the knee
b
: to touch the knee to the floor or ground especially in worship
genuflected before the altar
2
: to be humbly obedient or respectful
bureaucrats who genuflect before the governor
genuflection noun

Did you know?

Today we give reverence to genuflect, which comes from the Late Latin word genuflectere, formed from the noun genu ("knee") and the verb flectere ("to bend"). Flectere appears in the etymologies of a number of more common verbs, such as reflect ("to bend or throw back light") and deflect ("to turn aside"). By comparison genu has seen little use in English, but it did give us geniculate, a word used in scientific contexts to mean "bent abruptly at an angle like a bent knee." Despite the resemblance, words such as genius and genuine are not related to genuflect; instead, they are related (genius directly, and genuine indirectly) to the Latin verb gignere, meaning "to beget."

Examples of genuflect in a Sentence

They genuflected before the altar in the church.
Recent Examples on the Web Lovers of Confederate Americana, meanwhile, genuflect at the first White House of the Confederacy. Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024 And while genuflecting before the Reagan myth, Trump could not have been more different—an angry, pessimistic figure who warned that America was doomed and promised a return to a mythic past. CBS News, 23 Mar. 2024 Instead of genuflecting before Arab autocrats, the Biden administration should deliver one simple message to Israel in its war against Hamas: Get the job done. The Editors, National Review, 5 Dec. 2023 But a battle is unfolding between a still-thriving collector’s market and an increasing number of companies genuflecting to the headwinds of streaming, where server space for a full panorama of titles is becoming more limited than the technology once promised. Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 15 Dec. 2023 Or partner with an expert, learn from them and be willing to genuflect to them as needed. Dr. Eric George, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2023 Many of the people whom director Rob Reiner has throwing bouquets during this documentary—Steven Spielberg, Larry David, Jon Stewart, Conan O’Brien and Sharon Stone among them—are all more famous than Mr. Brooks, but genuflect before his comedic genius. John Anderson, WSJ, 9 Nov. 2023 From embodying chaos theory in the House to genuflecting before the Great God Trump in the presidential race, Republicans can’t get a handle on how to play the game of politics. Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 25 Sep. 2023 By then, Hoover was the most unassailable figure in American public life, a true untouchable, beyond criticism, genuflected to by Republican and Democratic politicians alike. Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'genuflect.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin genuflectere, from Latin genu knee + flectere to bend — more at knee entry 1

First Known Use

1630, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of genuflect was in 1630

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Dictionary Entries Near genuflect

Cite this Entry

“Genuflect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/genuflect. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

genuflect

verb
gen·​u·​flect ˈjen-yə-ˌflekt How to pronounce genuflect (audio)
: to kneel on one knee and then rise again as an act of deep respect

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