beatification Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a state of supreme happiness
    beatitude; blessedness.
  2. noun the action of rendering supremely blessed and extremely happy
  3. noun (Roman Catholic Church) an act of the Pope who declares that a deceased person lived a holy life and is worthy of public veneration; a first step toward canonization

WordNet

Be*at`i*fi*ca"tion noun
Etymology
Cf. F. béatification.
Definitions
  1. The act of beatifying, or the state of being beatified; esp., in the R. C. Church, the act or process of ascertaining and declaring that a deceased person is one of "the blessed," or has attained the second degree of sanctity, -- usually a stage in the process of canonization. "The beatification of his spirit." Jer. Taylor.

Webster 1913