This noun denotes reverence toward God, practical piety, and religious devotion expressed in worship and service. It combines the reverence (σέβομαι) with its object (θεός) to create a term for proper fear and service of God. Classical usage emphasized religious fear and worship of the gods. Paul uses it in 1 Timothy to describe the good works appropriate for women professing godliness. It suggests not mere outward religiosity but genuine reverence that shapes conduct. The term appears in contexts emphasizing practical holiness flowing from proper worship.