holiness
noun
the quality or state of being holy; sanctity.
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holiness
American
[hoh-lee-nis]
/ ˈhoʊ li nɪs /
noun
-
the quality or state of being holy; sanctity.
- Synonyms:
- saintliness, godliness, blessedness
-
(initial capital letter) a title of the pope, formerly used also of other high ecclesiastics (usually preceded by His orYour ).
Holiness
1
British
/ ˈhəʊlɪnɪs /
noun
holiness
2
British
/ ˈhəʊlɪnɪs /
noun
Usage
What does holiness mean? Holiness is a state of religious purity or devotion, as in Our faith says that holiness comes from serving other people and praying often. Holiness is also used as a title for some religions’ leaders. If you ever meet the Catholic Church’s Pope or Tibetan Buddhism’s Dalia Lama, you can refer to them as your Holiness. Example: The holiness of this relic is a hotly debated subject in religious circles.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of holiness
before 900; Middle English holynesse, Old English hālignes. See holy, -ness
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Miya Ando, an artist who was permitted to come in person to select her piece of steel for a London memorial, remembers a sense of holiness within the hangar.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
It’s been feeling practically biblical around here lately — and it’s not the feeling of holiness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
Nobody calls holiness home—although, ironically, doing so is an all-too-human habit.
From Slate ● May 15, 2024
It’s an elegiac relationship, compounded by the recent passing of my grandmother, who embodied holiness and unadulterated love in every sense.
From Salon ● Mar. 31, 2024
Certainly there are spots which inevitably attach to themselves an atmosphere of holiness and goodness; it might not then be too fanciful to say that some houses are born bad.
From "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson
The lack of representation contradicted what he knew to be true: Holiness also resides in Black and brown people.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
“Honor of a lifetime to meet His Holiness Pope Francis,” Trump said afterward.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 13, 2026
He was announced as the winner at the Grammys ceremony in Los Angeles for his book "Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama".
From Barron's ● Feb. 2, 2026
"I had the privilege of meeting His Holiness in August of last year. He was in good spirits and spoke passionately about peace, reconciliation and justice," he said.
From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2025
Grinning broadly, he excitedly pointed out his two favorite photos in the entire album: his Holiness posing beside Richard Gere, and another shot of him with Steven Seagal.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
