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Beatific Has Latin Roots
When it comes to bliss-themed words, it’s hard to beat beatific. Since the 17th century, beatific has been all about that other b-word, first describing things that impart a feeling of complete and utter happiness, and later those beings with a blissful appearance. Not a bad gig if you can get it. Beatific comes from the Latin adjective beātificus, which means “making happy,” and can be traced further back to the verb beāre, meaning “to make happy.” Bliss, of course, is more like happiness cubed, so beatific tends to be used in formal speech and writing, and reserved for situations where happy itself doesn’t quite cut the mustard. A beatific smile, for example, is one that suggests its wearer is content on a deeper-than-ordinary level, while a beatific location—say, a tranquil tropical lagoon or a majestic mountain—is one that instills such pervasive joy in its beholder.
Examples of beatific in a Sentence
Steve Knopper,
Rolling Stone,
26 June 2026
On the set that was apparently once a Jehovah’s Witness Headquarters, Lineker was beatific, anointing the next generation.
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Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
21 June 2026
Her ghost of a smile should be parsed as beatific rapture.
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Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
King is known for creating beatific dances in collaboration with master musicians, pieces that feature the artists on stage in San Francisco (though LINES Ballet often performs on tour with a recorded score).
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Andrew Gilbert,
Mercury News,
6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for beatific
Cite this Entry
“Beatific.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beatific. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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beatific
adjective
