modesty
Americannoun
plural
modesties-
the quality of being modest; freedom from vanity, boastfulness, etc.
-
regard for decency of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
-
simplicity; moderation.
noun
-
the quality or condition of being modest
-
(modifier) designed to prevent inadvertent exposure of part of the body
a modesty flap
Other Word Forms
- overmodesty noun
Etymology
Origin of modesty
From the Latin word modestia, dating back to 1525–35. See modest, -y 3
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.
The layers of shell companies and use of foreign conduits into luxury real estate help leaders of the Islamic Republic maintain an image back home of embracing modesty and rejecting lavish lifestyles, researchers say.
The ease and modesty present in “Marc by Sofia” sometimes seem perplexing.
From Salon
This was not just false modesty, it was a mature batter realising that his place in the larger scheme of things had been made so much easier by an ace teammate.
From BBC
His quiet tone is not shyness or false modesty but circumspection and a sense of boundaries that imply respect and love for real communication.
From Los Angeles Times
He urged employees to also show modesty with pension funds and their other clients.
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.
