chastity
Americannoun
noun
-
the state of being chaste; purity
-
abstention from sexual intercourse; virginity or celibacy
a vow of chastity
Usage
What does chastity mean? Chastity most commonly refers to the quality or virtue of refraining from sexual activity that’s considered immoral, especially according to the teachings of a certain religion. It sometimes means about the same thing as celibacy—refraining from all sexual activity. When members of certain religions take a vow of chastity, this is usually what it means. Chastity is the quality of being chaste. The word chaste can be used to describe someone who refrains sexual activity considered immoral or any sexual activity. Chaste can also be used in a more general way to mean morally pure. Example: When I went to Catholic high school, my religion teachers always emphasized the virtue of chastity.
Other Word Forms
- nonchastity noun
Etymology
Origin of chastity
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English chastite, variant of chastete, from Old French, from Latin castitāt-, stem of castitās; equivalent to chaste + -ity
Explanation
Someone who practices chastity deliberately refrains from having sex, usually for religious reasons. Many religions emphasize the importance of chastity before marriage. Chastity comes from the Latin word castus, meaning “morally pure,” and to some religious believers, chastity is closely related to a sense of purity and wholesomeness. Some religious figures, including Catholic nuns and priests, take a vow of chastity so they can focus their thoughts on their faith.
Vocabulary lists containing chastity
"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Vocabulary from Act 1
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Novel Study: The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Acts 1–2
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Tess of the d'Urbervilles
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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.
A monk named Paschalis devotes his life to a biography of the noncanonical saint Wilgefortis, a venerated Christian noblewoman who grew a beard to vouchsafe her chastity.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 28, 2025
The sisters’ vows of chastity and poverty and the air of secrecy that shrouds their cloistered lives are all intriguingly antithetical to modern Western values of sex, money and fame.
From New York Times • May 16, 2024
Franklin maintained his own list of virtues: temperance, silence, order, resolution, frugality, industry, sincerity, justice, moderation, cleanliness, tranquility, chastity, and humility.
From National Geographic • Nov. 8, 2023
Vestals swore a vow of chastity, and the punishment for breaking it was severe, illustrating the symbolic importance of their virginity, which was linked to the preservation of Rome.
From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023
On top of the more or less social tangle in which he found himself, there was a personal puzzle—for he put a higher value cm chastity than is fashionable in our century.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
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.
