Pietà
[ pee-ey-tah, pyey-tah, pee-ey-tuh, pyey- ]
/ ˌpi eɪˈtɑ, pyeɪˈtɑ, piˈeɪ tə, ˈpyeɪ- /
Save This Word!
noun (sometimes lowercase)Fine Arts.
a representation of the Virgin Mary mourning over the body of the dead Christ, usually shown held on her lap.
QUIZ
WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?
Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!
Question 1 of 7
Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.
Words nearby Pietà
Piers Plowman, pier table, pies, Piesporter, piet, Pietà, Pietas, Pietermaritzburg, Pietism, piet-my-vrou, Pietro da Cortona
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use Pietà in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for Pietà
pietà
/ (pɪɛˈtɑː) /
noun
a sculpture, painting, or drawing of the dead Christ, supported by the Virgin Mary
Word Origin for pietà
Italian: pity, from Latin pietās piety
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for Pietà
Pietà
[ (pyay-tah; pee-ay-tah) ]
A painting, drawing, or sculpture of Mary, the mother of Jesus, holding the dead body of Jesus. The word means “pity” in Italian.
notes for Pietà
The most famous of four Pietàs by Michelangelo is a sculpture at Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.