holiness

[hoh-lee-nis]

noun

1. the quality or state of being holy; sanctity.

   Synonyms: saintliness, godliness, blessedness

2. (initial capital letter),  a title of the pope, formerly used also of other high ecclesiastics (usually preceded by His orYour ).

Holiness

¹

/ ˈhəʊlɪnɪs /

noun

1. a title once given to all bishops, but now reserved for the pope

holiness

²

/ ˈhəʊlɪnɪs /

noun

1. the state or quality of being holy

Other Word Forms

• self-holiness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of holiness¹

before 900; Middle English holynesse, Old English hālignes. See holy, -ness

Example Sentences

To think we can simply sashay into Heaven as we are without some serious heart surgery is to have a shallow view of both God’s holiness and our sinfulness and selfishness.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Lost Cause mythology relies on perversions of holiness to spread its hateful propaganda.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But she still knew all the words, albeit this time to a traditional hymn about the holiness of the Lord.

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The Archdiocese of New York recently released an update on reforms to its abuse response protocols, with Dolan arguing that “conversion is possible, healing is possible, holiness is possible even after great sin.”

Read more on Salon

“There’s this idea of this false sense of holiness and that this guy doesn’t belong here,” says McBride.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• humility 
• purity 
• righteousness 
• sanctity 

When To Use

What does holiness mean?

Holiness is a state of religious purity or devotion, as in Our faith says that holiness comes from serving other people and praying often.Holiness is also used as a title for some religions’ leaders. If you ever meet the Catholic Church’s Pope or Tibetan Buddhism’s Dalia Lama, you can refer to them as your Holiness.Example: The holiness of this relic is a hotly debated subject in religious circles.