hallowed
Americanadjective
adjective
-
set apart as sacred
-
consecrated or holy
Related Words
See holy.
Other Word Forms
- hallowedly adverb
- hallowedness noun
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)
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A Midsummer Night's Dream
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "H"
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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.
He met Queen Elizabeth II and his image was hung in the hallowed halls of the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026
"It's an unbelievable story. To be in this place, it's hallowed ground."
From BBC • Feb. 9, 2026
If Thao or other victims of ICE brought suit, that is, they’d arguably be walking in hallowed footprints.
From Slate • Feb. 4, 2026
Pete Golding had spent nearly 20 years in college football, fantasizing about the day when he might become a head coach in the hallowed Southeastern Conference.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025
It seemed too good to be true, an entry into a hallowed American kingdom.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
