serenity
Americannoun
-
serenities
plural
-
the state or quality of being serene, calm, or tranquil; sereneness.
- Synonyms:
- peace, peacefulness, calm, composure
- Antonyms:
- agitation
-
(usually initial capital letter) a title of honor, respect, or reverence, used in speaking of or to certain members of royalty (usually preceded by his, your, etc.).
noun
-
the state or quality of being serene
-
(often capital) a title of honour used of certain royal personages: preceded by his, her, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of serenity
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English serenite, from Latin serēnitās; see serene ( def. ), -ity ( def. )
Explanation
The goal of meditation is to reach a state of serenity, when your mind is still and perfectly calm. Use serenity to mean the quality or state of being calm and peaceful. It is hard to believe that the ocean, whipped by winds during a storm, can ever return to a state of serenity, where its surface looks as smooth as glass. And if you're babysitting your neighbor's rowdy triplets, you might long for the serenity of your quiet bedroom. Serenity is from the Latin serenus, meaning "calm or peaceful," plus the English suffix -ity, meaning "quality or state of."
Vocabulary lists containing serenity
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Essential Academic Vocabulary for Middle School Students, List 1
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
100 SAT words Beginning with "S"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
“Behind its gates lies a property defined by serenity and intention,” the description read.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
Doctors talk about la belle indifférence, a state of reality-denying serenity that some patients enter while experiencing serious medical symptoms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026
But fame and fortune did not affect her remarkable originality, which she once attributed to the "serenity of the soul" that comes from spending time alone.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
“Witnessing the beauty, serenity and unrelenting force of nature through their eyes has helped ground me in a chaotic world.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
He told Koppel he wanted to die with serenity.
From "Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom
It is particularly effective with modern music, with which Bernstein has had consistent success, and whose complex rhythms he feels perhaps more deeply than he feels the serenities of the classics.
From Time Magazine Archive
For the serenities of the countess, Katharine Cornell's personal graciousness is more in accord.
From Time Magazine Archive
Dogs and cats sprawled around us, and a big bowl of roses spoke of serenities that are now in general eclipse.
From The New York Times Current History of the European War, Vol 1, Issue 4, January 23, 1915 by Various
His composure in the face of this coolness was, however, a strange blending of serenities derived equally from the cosmos and from La Fayette Square.
From The Invisible Censor by Francis Hackett
I turn now from the sorrow and pain and darkness of earth to the celestial city, to infinite serenities, to love without limit, to perfect joy.
From Prisoners of Conscience by Amelia Edith Huddleston Barr
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.
