Meanings
plural genuflections · alternative genuflexion
- countableuncountableThe act of genuflecting.
Certain business titans have made Mar-A-Lago a scene of such flagrant self-abnegation, ring-kissing, and genuflection that it would embarrass a medieval Pope.
2025 January 12, David Remnick, “The Inauguration of Trump's Oligarchy”, in The New Yorker1 more example
Those impious Pigs, Who, by frequent squeaks, have dared impugn The settled Swellfoot system, or to make Irreverent mockery of the genuflexions Inculcated by the arch-priest, have been whipt Into a loyal and an orthodox whine.
1820, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Oedipus Tyrannus; Or, Swellfoot The Tyrant: A Tragedy in Two Acts
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latingenuflexio
- Englishgenuflection
Borrowed from Latin genuflexio, though with standardized spelling. By surface analysis, genuflect (“to bend the knee”) + -ion (Latinate abstract-noun suffix).
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian колени́чене
- колени́чене (koleníčene)the act of genuflecting, in the sense of bowing down
Dutch kniebuiging
- kniebuigingthe act of genuflecting, in the sense of bowing down
Finnish polvistuminen
- polvistuminenthe act of genuflecting, in the sense of bowing down
French génuflexion
- génuflexionthe act of genuflecting, in the sense of bowing down
German Niederknien, Kniebeuge
- Niederknienthe act of genuflecting, in the sense of bowing down
- Kniebeugethe act of genuflecting, in the sense of bowing down
- Kniefallthe act of genuflecting, in the sense of bowing down
Greek γονυκλισία
- γονυκλισία (gonyklisía)the act of genuflecting, in the sense of bowing down
Icelandic knébeyging, knéfall
- knébeygingthe act of genuflecting, in the sense of bowing down
- knéfallthe act of genuflecting, in the sense of bowing down
Irish umhlú
- umhlúthe act of genuflecting, in the sense of bowing down
Italian genuflessione
- genuflessionethe act of genuflecting, in the sense of bowing down
Latin genuflexio
- genuflexiothe act of genuflecting, in the sense of bowing down
Polish klękanie, uklęknięcie
- klękaniethe act of genuflecting, in the sense of bowing down
- uklęknięciethe act of genuflecting, in the sense of bowing down
Portuguese genuflexão
- genuflexãothe act of genuflecting, in the sense of bowing down
Romanian genuflexiune, genuflexare
- genuflexiunethe act of genuflecting, in the sense of bowing down
- genuflexarethe act of genuflecting, in the sense of bowing down
Russian коленопреклоне́ние
- коленопреклоне́ние (kolenopreklonénije)the act of genuflecting, in the sense of bowing down
Spanish genuflexión
- genuflexiónthe act of genuflecting, in the sense of bowing down
Ukrainian колінопреклоні́ння
- колінопреклоні́ння (kolinopreklonínnja)the act of genuflecting, in the sense of bowing down
Cite this entry
genuflection. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/genuflection
“genuflection.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/genuflection. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “genuflection,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/genuflection.
Source: genuflection on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.