dignity
Americannoun
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dignities
plural
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bearing, conduct, or speech indicative of self-respect or appreciation of the formality or gravity of an occasion or situation.
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nobility or elevation of character; worthiness.
dignity of sentiments.
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elevated rank, office, station, etc.
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relative standing; rank.
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a sign or token of respect.
an impertinent question unworthy of the dignity of an answer.
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Archaic.
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person of high rank or title.
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such persons collectively.
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noun
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a formal, stately, or grave bearing
he entered with dignity
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the state or quality of being worthy of honour
the dignity of manual labour
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relative importance; rank
he is next in dignity to the mayor
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sense of self-importance (often in the phrases stand (or be ) on one's dignity, beneath one's dignity )
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high rank, esp in government or the church
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a person of high rank or such persons collectively
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of dignity
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English dignite, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin dignitās “worthiness,” from dign(us) “worthy” + -itās -ity
Explanation
If someone has dignity, it means they are worthy of respect. If you really want the lead role in a play and you try to bribe the director to give it to you, she might say, “Have you no dignity?” Someone with dignity carries herself well. If you lose an election, and you say nasty things about your opponent and try to undermine her, you are acting without dignity. But if you graciously congratulate her and accept the results, then you are behaving in a dignified manner. We also talk about human dignity, which is an idea of what separates humans from animals. Human Rights activists believe that everyone has the right to live with dignity.
Vocabulary lists containing dignity
Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech (1963)
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"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney
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Declaration of the Rights of Woman (1791)
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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.
See Examples For:
"People are tired of being treated without dignity, without respect. And these companies are making an obscene amount of money," he said at a press conference Wednesday, before breaking down in tears.
From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026
She’s perhaps best-known for her Instagram page @veteranas_and_rucas, a crowd-sourced digital archive where homegirls from California reminisce, share stories and see themselves represented with dignity and pride.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
He concluded: "My message is for peace, love, for all human beings to be treated equally and with dignity."
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
It’s hard to predict what the job market in the AI era will look like, but any work carries dignity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
“He has so much martial dignity in his deportment,” observed Benjamin Rush, “that there is not a king in Europe but would look like a valet de chambre by his side.”
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, had numerous chances to take a stand for basic human dignities.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 17, 2022
“At the California Department of Justice, we’ll continue to do our part to stand up for the dignities and rights of everyone in our state.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2022
But Smarsh’s story demonstrates an urgent truth of today’s unforgiving economy, that a college degree no longer unlocks the gates to the dignities of the middle class as it once did.
From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2017
General Assembly’s annual ministerial meeting that what’s important is whether the winner is willing “to respect the rights and dignities of nations,” particularly Iran.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 22, 2016
But happening to look up at Mrs. Pocket as she sat reading her book of dignities after prescribing Bed as a sovereign remedy for baby, I thought—Well—No, I wouldn’t.
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
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.
