holiness
noun
the quality or state of being holy; sanctity.
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holiness
American
[hoh-lee-nis]
/ ˈhoʊ li nɪs /
noun
-
the quality or state of being holy; sanctity.
- Synonyms:
- saintliness, godliness, blessedness
-
(initial capital letter) a title of the pope, formerly used also of other high ecclesiastics (usually preceded by His orYour ).
Holiness
1
British
/ ˈhəʊlɪnɪs /
noun
holiness
2
British
/ ˈhəʊlɪnɪs /
noun
Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of holiness
before 900; Middle English holynesse, Old English hālignes. See holy, -ness
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.
See Examples For:
"Fr Willie Doyle lived a life of great heroism and, I would also say, great holiness," Kenny told BBC News NI.
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026
Miya Ando, an artist who was permitted to come in person to select her piece of steel for a London memorial, remembers a sense of holiness within the hangar.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
It’s been feeling practically biblical around here lately — and it’s not the feeling of holiness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
Nobody calls holiness home—although, ironically, doing so is an all-too-human habit.
From Slate ● May 15, 2024
I’m afraid all those childhood lessons in holiness slid off me like hot butter off the griddle.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
The lack of representation contradicted what he knew to be true: Holiness also resides in Black and brown people.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
His Holiness also neglects St. Augustine’s definition in “The City of God” that peace is “the tranquility of order,” not just the absence of war.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 15, 2026
"Meditation: Reflections Of His Holiness The Dalai Lama" features artists such as Rufus Wainwright, who accepted the award on behalf of the spiritual leader, and Maggie Rogers.
From Barron's ● Feb. 2, 2026
"I am convinced in this way His Holiness will make an indispensable contribution so that COP30 may go down in history as the great moment of implementation," she said.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2025
Grinning broadly, he excitedly pointed out his two favorite photos in the entire album: his Holiness posing beside Richard Gere, and another shot of him with Steven Seagal.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
