beatific

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 1, 2010 is: beatific • \bee-uh-TIFF-ik\  • adjective 1 : of, possessing, or imparting a state of utmost bliss 2 : having a blissful appearance Examples: A beatific smile spread across Grandmother’s face as she reminisced about her wedding day. Did you know? "Beatific," from Latin "beatificus" ("making happy"), first occurred in English in the phrase "beatific vision," a theological allusion to the direct sight of God enjoyed by the blessed in heaven. Although "beatific" originally meant "conferring happiness," the word now more frequently means "expressing happiness," and a blissfully joyful look or appearance may be called "beatific." A closely related word is "beatitude," which can refer to a state of utmost bliss. (You may also know "the beatitudes" as a series of blessings from Jesus in the Bible.) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.