holiness
Americannoun
-
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 ).
noun
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
- self-holiness noun
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.
But she still knew all the words, albeit this time to a traditional hymn about the holiness of the Lord.
From Los Angeles Times
The Archdiocese of New York recently released an update on reforms to its abuse response protocols, with Dolan arguing that “conversion is possible, healing is possible, holiness is possible even after great sin.”
From Salon
“There’s this idea of this false sense of holiness and that this guy doesn’t belong here,” says McBride.
From Los Angeles Times
It’s an elegiac relationship, compounded by the recent passing of my grandmother, who embodied holiness and unadulterated love in every sense.
From Salon
As part of Sukkot, the four species are held while saying a daily blessing — except on Shabbat — that is an expression of the holiness of the holiday.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
