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:
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
But she still knew all the words, albeit this time to a traditional hymn about the holiness of the Lord.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2025
Nobody calls holiness home—although, ironically, doing so is an all-too-human habit.
From Slate ● May 15, 2024
It’s an elegiac relationship, compounded by the recent passing of my grandmother, who embodied holiness and unadulterated love in every sense.
From Salon ● Mar. 31, 2024
“They do the holiness themselves. They’d just need somewhere dry.”
From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman
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
He was announced as the winner at the Grammys ceremony in Los Angeles for his book "Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama".
From Barron's ● Feb. 2, 2026
Morgan said it was with "great sadness that I have learned of the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis".
From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2025
“Your Holiness, we have come to hear a story.”
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
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.
