English Explanatory Dictionary

dignity

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The state of being dignified or worthy of esteem: elevation of mind or character.
  2. Decorum, formality, stateliness.
  3. High office, rank, or station.
  4. One holding high rank; a dignitary.
  5. Fundamental principle; axiom; maxim.
  6. Respect.

Pronunciation

/ˈdɪɡnɪti/ en-us-dignity.ogg

Word forms

dignity dignities dignitie

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English dignyte, from Old French dignité, from Latin dignitās (“worthiness, merit, dignity, grandeur, authority, rank, office”), from dignus (“worthy, appropriate”), from Proto-Italic *degnos, from Proto-Indo-European *dḱ-nos, from *deḱ- (“to take”). See also decus (“honor, esteem”) and decet (“it is fitting”). Cognate to deign. Doublet of dainty. In this sense, displaced native Old English weorþsċipe, which became Modern English worship.

Synonyms

worth worthiness

Related words

deign dignified dignify affirmation integrity self-esteem self-respect self-worth

Derived words

dignitude stand on one's dignity stand upon one's dignity undignity
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
Back to search All on D Russian dictionary Dahl dictionary