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
Christian figures who embody ideals of goodness and holiness – saints, Mary and even Jesus – are the ones who rule the runway.
From Salon ● May 17, 2026
“There’s this idea of this false sense of holiness and that this guy doesn’t belong here,” says McBride.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2025
Nobody calls holiness home—although, ironically, doing so is an all-too-human habit.
From Slate ● May 15, 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
"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 think everyone is kind of anticipating some kind of revelation from His Holiness about his reincarnation. But I do not expect a very specific kind of revelation," he told the BBC.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2025
“Your Holiness, no offence, we are sure. We were only at wishing to make an exchange of ideas.”
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
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