salt of the earth

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noun

an individual or group considered as representative of the best or noblest elements of society.

Origin of salt of the earth

1350–1400; Middle English; after Matthew 5:13

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for salt of the earth

proper, principled, righteous, noble, moralistic, trustworthy, renowned, illustrious, eminent, well-known, distinguished, prominent, esteemed, satisfying, worthwhile, admirable, reliable, excellent, desirable, valuable

Examples from the Web for salt of the earth

Contemporary Examples of salt of the earth

Against O'Donnell's salt-of-the-earth presentation, Coons was aloof.
O'Donnell's Do or Die Debate
Samuel P. Jacobs
October 14, 2010
Leno has staked his claim to the working-class, salt-of-the-earth demographic.
The Not Ready for Primetime Player
Caryn James
September 15, 2009

salt of the earth in Culture

salt of the Earth

Basic, fundamental goodness; the phrase can be used to describe any simple, good person: “I like Mary: she's reliable, trustworthy, and straightforward; she's the salt of the Earth.” In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells his followers, who are mainly fishermen and other simple people, “Ye are the salt of the Earth.”