deliverance

noun

de·​liv·​er·​ance di-ˈli-v(ə-)rən(t)s How to pronounce deliverance (audio)
dē-
1
: the act of delivering someone or something : the state of being delivered
especially : liberation, rescue
2
: something delivered
especially : an opinion or decision (such as the verdict of a jury) expressed publicly

Examples of deliverance in a Sentence

She prayed for deliverance as the famine got worse. looked to the European powers for deliverance from their country's cruel tyrant
Recent Examples on the Web Even her sadder songs have curls of last-minute deliverance. Elizabeth Barber, Harper's Magazine, 2 Feb. 2024 In ‘The Regime,’ Kate Winslet Gets to Have a Little Fun Feb. 26, 2024 Her deliverance arrives in the form of Herbert Zubak (Matthias Schoenaerts), a soldier reassigned to palace duties after putting down a workers’ protest a touch too enthusiastically. James Poniewozik, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024 It’s been about five years since that Aston Villa victory, that hometown deliverance. Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 22 Feb. 2024 The stories about God’s deliverance that have been handed down from generation to generation, Ms. Murrell said, are deeply rooted in the Black American experience. Kathryn Post, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Feb. 2024 On the other hand, Magid was attracted to the then marginal rise of Religious Zionism, which married Romantic ideals about nation and land to a divine quest for the deliverance of the Jewish people. Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 15 Feb. 2024 Debtors, out of fear or desperation, often are drawn to the commercials promising too-good-to-be-true deliverance. Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 22 Dec. 2023 Set in Edo-period Japan, Mizu lives a life in disguise seeking the deliverance of revenge. Breanna Bell, Variety, 11 Dec. 2023 Then, on Tuesday, came what appeared to be an out-of-the-blue act of deliverance from Denver. Reid J. Epstein, New York Times, 21 Dec. 2023

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

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of deliverance was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near deliverance

Cite this Entry

“Deliverance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deliverance. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

deliverance

noun
de·​liv·​er·​ance di-ˈliv-(ə-)rən(t)s How to pronounce deliverance (audio)
1
: an act of delivering or the state of being delivered
especially : salvation sense 3, rescue
deliverance from the hands of the enemy
2
: something delivered or communicated
especially : a publicly expressed opinion or decision

More from Merriam-Webster on deliverance

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