earnestness
Americannoun
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seriousness and zeal in intention, purpose, or effort.
Socrates was a man of great moral earnestness, and exemplified in his own life some of the noblest virtues.
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depth and sincerity of feeling.
Speak with conviction and earnestness, and the people watching and listening will believe you.
Etymology
Origin of earnestness
Explanation
Earnestness is a quality of sincere interest, belief, or opinion. The earnestness with which you recite your favorite poem might make your English class stop whispering and really listen. Your favorite history teacher's earnestness can be seen in the serious, intense way he talks about the Civil War or Prohibition. Little kids often approach the world with an earnestness that's reflected in their amazement and wonder at seemingly ordinary things, like fireflies or simple magic tricks. Earnestness comes from the adjective earnest, "showing sincere conviction," which has an Old English root, eornoste, "zealous."
Vocabulary lists containing earnestness
The Devil's Arithmetic
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Dracula
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Lee Surrenders to Grant (1865)
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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.
There’s an earnestness in his appreciation of great literature that translates to his videos.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Like other Angel releases, this one is made with an old-fashioned earnestness that assumes the audience wants every character trait and plot development indicated as bluntly as possible.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
That earnestness was always my favorite element of their work.
From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2026
Colbert often emits sarcasm but in this moment, he let Vuong’s earnestness take the spotlight.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2026
“What if a dozen people told you, with perfect earnestness, that shamble-men were out in the fields, eating—” “Of course I wouldn’t believe them,” my father said, irritated.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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.
