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:
"Fr Willie Doyle lived a life of great heroism and, I would also say, great holiness," Kenny told BBC News NI.
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026
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
The Archdiocese of New York recently released an update on reforms to its abuse response protocols, with Dolan arguing that “conversion is possible, healing is possible, holiness is possible even after great sin.”
From Salon ● Sep. 21, 2025
“He going to learn,” he said at last, “that it ain’t all in the singing and the shouting—the way of holiness is a hard way. He got the steep side of the mountain to climb.”
From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin
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
Appeared in the May 12, 2026, print edition as 'A New Look for Holiness'.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 11, 2026
The Dalai Lama won a Grammy for audio, narration and storytelling for his audiobook "Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama".
From Barron's ● Feb. 2, 2026
"I am convinced in this way His Holiness will make an indispensable contribution so that COP30 may go down in history as the great moment of implementation," she said.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2025
“Even so,” His High Holiness went on, “these are terrible charges, and the realm must know the truth of them. If Your Grace has told it true, no doubt a trial will prove your innocence.”
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
