# idolatry

> English word · Noun · IPA /aɪˈdɒl.ə.tɹi/ · frequency rank #36,185

## Definitions
1. The worship of idols.
2. The excessive admiration of somebody or something.

## Etymology
Inherited from Middle English ydolatrie, from Old French idolatrie, from Ecclesiastical Latin īdōlatrīa, from Late Latin īdōlolatrīa, from Ancient Greek εἰδωλολατρίᾱ (eidōlolatríā, “worship of idols”), back-formation from εἰδωλολάτρης (eidōlolátrēs), from εἴδωλον (eídōlon, “idol”) & λάτρις (látris, “worshipper”) or λατρεύω (latreúō, “I worship”), from λάτρον (látron, “payment”). Equivalent to idol + -latry. Cognate with Modern French idolâtrie, Italian idolatria, Occitan ydolatria, Portuguese idolatria, and Spanish idolatría. Displaced native Old English dēofolġield (literally “devil worship”).

## Common misspellings (12)
`diolatry`, `iddolatry`, `idloatry`, `idoaltry`, `idolarty`, `idolatrry`, `idolatryy`, `idolattry`, `idolatyr`, `idollatry`, `idoltary`, `iodlatry`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/idolatry