votive
1
9.1
- adjective
- /ˈvoʊtɪv/
:
votivo
- A votive lantern, like those already flickering under all the other sabas up and down the street, fervent wishes for Rufina's recovery.
- votive offering
- votive chapel
Examples
-
This suggests that it was a votive offering and not an embodiment of the crocodile god Sobek.
Academic text (2010) -
Breathing in the serene atmosphere, he walked up to the votive candles and lit one, saying a silent prayer.
Fiction book (1999) -
Before the Virgin is a short, round votive candle in a thick glass cup.
Fiction book (1993) -
Leaving confession, he holds his finger over a votive candle.
Academic text (1991) -
The reliquary had a 5-foot oil painting of the Virgin of Guadalupe with a kneeler and votive candle offerings.
Blog text (21) -
The chapel to the north (Fig. 5, position 4) became the votive chapel of the city, dedicated to the popular plague saints Sebastian and Roch.
Academic text (2000) -
She lit a votive candle in memory of her loved ones, fulfilling her promise to remember them.
-
After the ceremony, he placed votive offerings on the altar as a sign of gratitude for the blessings received.
-
During the service, worshippers lit votive candles to symbolize their devotion and commitment to their faith.
Synonyms
31
4.4
Set aside for a special use, often to honor people or for religious purposes
Surface Forms
Morphology
votive = vow (semi-transparent) = vot + ive
The productive adjective suffix '-ive' is clear, but the root form 'vot-' is not a standalone English word; learners who know 'vow' may infer the meaning, while others may not.
Etymology
Votive comes from the Latin votum, meaning 'a vow' or 'a wish', and is like the English word vow. So a votive offering is a gift or action given to keep a promise or to show thanks after a prayer.