Hallowedness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The state or quality of being highly revered or considered holy
2. The attribute of being sacred and worthy of respect or honor
3. A condition marked by sanctity and deep veneration

Etymology: "Hallowedness" is a plain compound: the adjective "hallowed" (meaning made holy or treated as sacred) with the suffix "-ness," which turns an adjective into a noun for a quality or state. So the word names the state of being hallowed, the sacredness that makes a thing revered. The adjective "hallowed" grows from the verb "hallow," which comes from Old English "hālgian," meaning to consecrate or make holy, linked to the adjective "hālig," or holy. The word's core idea is therefore holiness set apart for reverence. The suffix "-ness" is itself native English, descended from Old English "-nes," and has been used to form abstract nouns from adjectives throughout the language's history.

Synonyms: sanctity, holiness, sacredness, divinity, blessedness

Antonyms: profane, impurity, unholiness, commonness