hallowed
Americanadjective
adjective
-
set apart as sacred
-
consecrated or holy
Synonym Usage
See holy.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of hallowed
First recorded before 900; Middle English halwed; Old English (ge)halgod; see hallow + -ed 2
Explanation
The adjective hallowed is used to describe something that is sacred and revered, usually something old and steeped in tradition. The word hallowed often has a religious connotation, but it can also be used playfully to convey a sense of reverence about something that isn’t religious in nature but that nonetheless inspires worship. A football fan, for example, may talk about the hallowed tradition of tailgating on a game day Saturday, or an avid shopper may describe the hallowed grounds of the Macy’s shoe department. In the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln used the word with its more traditional sense to ponder man's inability to show the proper reverence to those men who died in battle: "But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate…we cannot consecrate…we cannot hallow…this ground."
Vocabulary lists containing hallowed
Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech (1963)
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A Midsummer Night's Dream
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "H"
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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.
Now, he says there's tangible excitement about the venue's future and stars should feel there is as much "hallowed turf" here than over in the Olympic Park.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
On Thursday afternoon, in the steamy heat of the Mexican capital, this hallowed stadium became the first to host matches at three different World Cups.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
But that he’s done it with such singular style and childlike glee is enough to make the audience remember that a movie theater is a hallowed space.
From Salon ● Jun. 10, 2026
The cemetery across the Potomac River from Washington, where hundreds of thousands of American veterans are buried, is considered one of the most hallowed sites in the country.
From Barron's ● May 21, 2026
But her name remains hallowed among union people in Western Pennsylvania, and her spirit lives on whenever someone stands up for the American ideals of equality and justice for all.
From "Fannie Never Flinched" by Mary Cronk Farrell
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.
