Divinity and divine (sometimes "the Divinity" or "the Divine" ) are broadly applied but loosely defined terms, used variously within different faiths and belief systems — and even by different individuals within a given faith — to refer to some transcendent or transcendental power or deity, or its attributes or manifestations in the world. The root of the words is literally "godlike" (from the Latin deus, cf. Dyaus, closely related to Greek zeus, div in Persian and deva in Sanskrit), but the use varies significantly depending on which god is being discussed. This article outlines the major distinctions in the conventional use of the terms.

For academic or professional uses of the terms, see Divinity (academic discipline), or Divine (Anglican)

Noun

godliness (countable and uncountable; plural godlinesses)

1. The condition and quality of being godly, pious, scrupulously observant of all the teaching's of one's religion, practicing virtue and avoiding sin.

   1562 Bishops, Priests, and Deacons are not commanded by God's laws either to vow the estate of single life or to abstain from marriage. Therefore it is lawful also for them, as for all other Christian men, to marry at their own discretion, as they shall judge the same to serve better to godliness. — The Thirty-Nine Articles, Point 32.

   1604 Nay, but he prated,

   And spoke such scurvy and provoking terms

   Against your honour

   That, with the little godliness I have,

   I did full hard forbear him. — Shakespeare, Othello, Act 1, Scene 2

• deity

• English nouns

• Society: Philosophy: Philosophers: A: Aristotle (62)
• Society: Philosophy: Philosophers: M: MacIntyre, Alasdair (4)
• Society: Religion and Spirituality: Christianity: Denominations: Catholicism: Saints: T: Saint Thomas Aquinas (35)

• Ethics Updates: Anti-Theory
  ethics.sandiego.edu
  A short survey on the views of philosophers who are skeptical of theorising in ethics.
• Virtue Ethics in the Ancient World
  uh.edu
  Graduate seminar series organised by Cynthia Freeland at the University of Houston.
• Virtue Epistemology
  plato.stanford.edu
  An approach in epistemology that applies the resources of virtue theory to problems in the theory of knowledge. From the Stanford Encyclopedia, by John Greco.