hallowed
Americanadjective
adjective
-
set apart as sacred
-
consecrated or holy
Related Words
See holy.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of hallowed
First recorded before 900; Middle English halwed; Old English (ge)halgod; see hallow + -ed 2
Explanation
The adjective hallowed is used to describe something that is sacred and revered, usually something old and steeped in tradition. The word hallowed often has a religious connotation, but it can also be used playfully to convey a sense of reverence about something that isn’t religious in nature but that nonetheless inspires worship. A football fan, for example, may talk about the hallowed tradition of tailgating on a game day Saturday, or an avid shopper may describe the hallowed grounds of the Macy’s shoe department. In the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln used the word with its more traditional sense to ponder man's inability to show the proper reverence to those men who died in battle: "But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate…we cannot consecrate…we cannot hallow…this ground."
Vocabulary lists containing hallowed
Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech (1963)
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "H"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Hallowed ground or not, San Francisco sees the fountain as a 710-ton headache that would cost $29 million to fix.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 7, 2026
OUR Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done; In earth as it is in heaven.
From BBC • Sep. 19, 2022
The special “Eyes on the Prize: Hallowed Ground” salutes filmmaker Henry Hampton and his Emmy-winning PBS series that documented the history of the civil rights movement.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 15, 2021
Hallowed as that piece may be after all these years, Ms. Ono said that she recently got an entirely new take on it.
From New York Times • May 6, 2015
Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name ...
From "Fallen Angels" by Walter Dean Myers
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.
