Beatify

/biˈætɪfaɪ/ verb

Definition

To make someone supremely happy; or officially declare a deceased person blessed and worthy of veneration by the Church.

Etymology

From Latin 'beatificāre' (to make blessed), combining 'beatus' (blessed) and 'facere' (to make). Entered English in the 15th century through ecclesiastical Latin.

Kelly Says

This word bridges theology and happiness itself—the Latin root 'beatus' didn't just mean happy, it meant the ultimate fulfillment and peace that Roman philosophers believed came from virtue, which Christianity transformed into a literal bureaucratic path to sainthood.

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