noun

holiness

HOH-lee-nuhs

noun

The quality or state of being holy or sacred.

"The monks devoted their lives to holiness and prayer."

Used with "His" or "Your" as a formal title for certain religious leaders, notably the Pope.

"The crowd fell silent as His Holiness entered the square."

How to Use Holiness

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishSacredness — or a formal title used to address religious leaders like the Pope.

holinesses plural, Holinesses plural

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The monks devoted their lives to _____ and prayer.

From Old English hāliġnes, built from "holy" plus the suffix "-ness."

business ugliness laziness happiness craziness weariness readiness emptiness manliness dizziness tardiness heaviness