Holiness Meaning
/ˈhoʊlinəs/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounThe state or condition of being holy.
nounUsed in connection with His or Your to address the leader of some religious traditions, notably the pope.
Sentence Examples
The priest embodied great holiness.
Holiness is a divine quality.
The pilgrims sought a state of spiritual holiness.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The monk spoke about the ____ of the ancient temple and its relics.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The pilgrims traveled for many miles to seek a sense of ____ at the ancient mountain shrine.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English holynesse, holinesse, halinesse, from Old English hāliġnes (“holiness, a holy thing, rites”), from Proto-West Germanic *hailagnassī, equivalent to holy + -ness. Cognate with West Frisian hilligens (“holiness”), Old High German heilagnissi, heilīgnissi (“holiness”), whence Middle High German heilignis (“halidom”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"R. Moskowitz charges cisgender readers to be as conscious and deliberate with our religious identities as transgender and gender non-conforming people are with theirs, arguing that holiness is only achieved through continuous and unrelenting struggle and change."
— 2019, Rachel Timoner, “Book Review: Textual Activism by Rabbi Mike Moskowitz”, in Tikkun:
"“Through the Sacraments, God shares his holiness with us so that we, in turn, can make the world holier,” the conference says on its website."
— 2022 February 14, Chuck Johnston and Steve Almasy, “A pastor baptized people for decades using one wrong word. Now those are all considered invalid”, in CNN:
"Currently he is a firm pillar that is supporting the Tibetan diaspora, holding them all together—but I worry about what will happen to Tibetans when His Holiness leaves his current body."
— 2021, The Extraordinary Life of His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama: An Illuminated Journey, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 47:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The monk spoke about the ____ of the ancient temple and its relics.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The pilgrims traveled for many miles to seek a sense of ____ at the ancient mountain shrine.