dignity

American  

[dig-ni-tee] / ˈdɪg nɪ ti /

noun

• dignities
  plural

1. bearing, conduct, or speech indicative of self-respect or appreciation of the formality or gravity of an occasion or situation.

2. nobility or elevation of character; worthiness.

   dignity of sentiments.

3. elevated rank, office, station, etc.

4. relative standing; rank.

5. a sign or token of respect.

   an impertinent question unworthy of the dignity of an answer.

6. Archaic.

   1. person of high rank or title.

   2. such persons collectively.

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dignity British  

/ ˈdɪɡnɪtɪ /

noun

1. a formal, stately, or grave bearing

   he entered with dignity

2. the state or quality of being worthy of honour

   the dignity of manual labour

3. relative importance; rank

   he is next in dignity to the mayor

4. sense of self-importance (often in the phrases stand (or be ) on one's dignity, beneath one's dignity )

5. high rank, esp in government or the church

6. a person of high rank or such persons collectively

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• dignities
  plural

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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

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dignity dignities

They instead stood out against the other evangelicals who made pleas for a sense of decorum and human dignity.

From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa said she had been a "pioneering defence attorney for anti-apartheid activists" who had worked to "uphold human dignity and bring hope in South Africa and to peoples globally".

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

“There’s a pathology going on here that is so out of keeping with the dignity that ought to characterize the taking of a life as a result of a legal process,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026

“The only thing that’s left is my dignity, right?”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

Their quiet dignity reminded me of my great-uncle Terry, who’d lived downstairs when I was growing up on Euclid Avenue, mowing our lawn dressed in wingtips and suspenders.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Yet in interviews, I constantly heard patient complaints about psychiatric facilities that denied even the smallest dignities, like choosing what movie to watch or eating a bag of chips.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2023

FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, had numerous chances to take a stand for basic human dignities.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 17, 2022

A former president can give a view on almost anything, past dignities conferring importance upon their every thought.

From The Guardian ● Oct. 20, 2017

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

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

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Related Words

• decency
• decorum
• grace
• grandeur
• greatness
• honor
• morality
• poise
• prestige
• quality
• respectability
• self-respect
• stature
• status
• virtue

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