grail
Americannoun
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Sometimes Grail any greatly desired and sought-after objective; ultimate ideal or reward.
The film's protagonist is defined by the struggle for his grail, a championship title he failed to win earlier in life.
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Often the Grail Holy Grail.
Weeks pass, and none of the knights return, so King Arthur himself must quest for the Grail.
noun
Etymology
Origin of grail
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English graiel, graile, from Anglo-French grahel, grayel, Old French gräel, grel, from Medieval Latin gradālis “platter,” of uncertain origin; perhaps distantly connected to Latin crātēr “mixing bowl” ( crater ( def. ) ) or crātis “wickerwork” ( grate 1 ( def. ) )
Explanation
A grail is some valuable thing you search for or pursue. A golfer's holy grail might be a hole in one. While the object of any serious pursuit is commonly described as a "holy grail," many who use the term might not know its origin. The original Holy Grail is a valuable chalice, cup, or plate — often made of gold — that's sought in medieval and Arthurian legends. The influence of Christianity makes the grail "holy," originally because it was said to have been used at the Last Supper. Grail has a Medieval Latin root, gradalis, "flat dish."
Vocabulary lists containing grail
Solo
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Novel Study: The Great Gatsby, Chapters 7–9
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Ready Player One
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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.
Rogers Jones and Co said the blend of literature, art, and royal history has made it a "holy grail" for coin collectors.
From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026
“The hopes that I had for this holy grail are unfolding absolutely on plan,” Kaplan said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026
“Musk wants to own and control more of the AI ecosystem, and, step by step, the holy grail could be combining SpaceX and Tesla.”
From Barron's • Feb. 3, 2026
I needed Ashwagandha — that was my holy grail at the time for my perimenopause journey, and I was out of it.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 20, 2026
In my grail diary, I had every single Rush song, album, bootleg, and music video ever made.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
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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.