piety

American  

[pahy-i-tee] / ˈpaɪ ɪ ti /

noun

plural

pieties

1. reverence for God or devout fulfillment of religious obligations.

   a prayer full of piety.

   Synonyms:

   awe, veneration, respect

2. the quality or state of being pious.

   saintly piety.

   Synonyms:

   holiness, sanctity, devoutness, devotion, godliness

3. dutiful respect or regard for parents, homeland, etc..

   filial piety.

4. a pious act, remark, belief, or the like.

   the pieties and sacrifices of an austere life.

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piety British  

/ ˈpaɪɪtɪ /

noun

1. dutiful devotion to God and observance of religious principles

2. the quality or characteristic of being pious

3. a pious action, saying, etc

4. rare devotion and obedience to parents or superiors

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Other Word Forms

• superpiety noun
• unpiety noun

Etymology

Origin of piety

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English piete, from Middle French, from Latin pietās, equivalent to pi(us) + -etās, variant (after i ) of -itās; pious, -ity

Example Sentences

Opponents say composting humans is potentially toxic and lacks piety.

From The Wall Street Journal

As traumatic as such piety might seem, Jonathan Sheehan’s “On the Altar” shows convincingly that human sacrifice and its multiple meanings and practices have shaped the intellectual history of the West.

From The Wall Street Journal

Through an artistic probing of form, perhaps reflective of his ancestors’ Talmudic dialectic, he questioned traditional pieties and challenged an existing order.

From The Wall Street Journal

Headstrong, queer and disinterested in Victorian pieties, she escaped her smothering Indianapolis family and headed to Chicago, where she hustled work as a bookseller and book reviewer.

From Los Angeles Times

Much of the public wanted a different take on war - and one that challenged solemn pieties at the heart of Official Remembrance.

From BBC

Related Words

• fervor
• loyalty
• religiosity
• reverence
• zeal