solemnity
Americannoun
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solemnities
plural
noun
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the state or quality of being solemn
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(often plural) solemn ceremony, observance, celebration, etc
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law a formality necessary to validate a deed, act, contract, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of solemnity
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English solempnete, from Old French, from Latin sollemnitās; equivalent to solemn + -ity
Explanation
Put on a straight face when you think of the word solemnity; it is used for occasions that are all about seriousness and dignity. The word solemnity has been around since the fourteenth century helping people describe the mood of occasions ranging from funerals of beloved public figures to ceremonies welcoming United Nations dignitaries. This is the noun form of the adjective solemn, and you’ll often see it used with “of,” as in “the solemnity of the occasion called for hushed voices.”
Vocabulary lists containing solemnity
"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act I
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Purple Hibiscus
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"Rules of the Game" (from The Joy Luck Club) by Amy Tan
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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.
See Examples For:
“At first, it was light, and there was a sense of solemnity and reverent awe. As the fire intensified, so did the rain,” Avraamiy said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
Now, we go on remembering vicariously, performing rituals of solemnity and sorrow to honour those who died, but the meaning of those rituals have changed over the years.
From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2025
All this helps relieve the museum’s windowless solemnity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2025
It’s clearly a passion project, and like many passion projects, it can go overboard at times, grow overstuffed, not to say oversolemn — though solemnity, to be sure, is appropriate to the history.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2025
The alethiometer was kept in a safe in there, and the senior assistant had to put it away himself, which he did with an air of solemnity that Hannah enjoyed very much.
From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman
To read this novel is to wade through a great many solemnities on the order of:
From New York Times ● Nov. 14, 2017
In Ancient Athens, every year the opening solemnities of the Festival of Dionysus would include a parade during which the tribute won from foreign military adventures was proudly displayed.
From New York Times ● May 26, 2017
But the solemnities of the writing are balanced by some excellent performances and superior production values.
From New York Times ● Mar. 1, 2010
After last week's official solemnities were over, Ghana and its guests let themselves go in a week of frolic.
From Time Magazine Archive
He had acted silly even at his own wedding, grinning during the solemnities, clowning when cutting the cake.
From "Abel's Island" by William Steig
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.
