Humility

Humility
Humility Hu*mil"i*ty, n.; pl. {Humilities}. [OE. humilite, OF. humilit['e], humelit['e], F. humilit['e], fr. L. humiliatis. See {Humble}.] 1. The state or quality of being humble; freedom from pride and arrogance; lowliness of mind; a modest estimate of one's own worth; a sense of one's own unworthiness through imperfection and sinfulness; self-abasement; humbleness. [1913 Webster]

Serving the Lord with all humility of mind. --Acts xx. 19. [1913 Webster]

2. An act of submission or courtesy. [1913 Webster]

With these humilities they satisfied the young king. --Sir J. Davies.

Syn: Lowliness; humbleness; meekness; modesty; diffidence.

Usage: {Humility}, {Modesty}, {Diffidence}. Diffidence is a distrust of our powers, combined with a fear lest our failure should be censured, since a dread of failure unconnected with a dread of censure is not usually called diffidence. It may be carried too far, and is not always, like modesty and humility, a virtue. Modesty, without supposing self-distrust, implies an unwillingness to put ourselves forward, and an absence of all over-confidence in our own powers. Humility consists in rating our claims low, in being willing to waive our rights, and take a lower place than might be our due. It does not require of us to underrate ourselves. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Humility — Humility, or being humble, is the defining characteristic of an unpretentious and modest person, someone who does not think that he or she is better or more important than others.The term humility is derived from the Latin word humilis , which is …   Wikipedia

  • Humility — • The word humility signifies lowliness or submissiveness an it is derived from the Latin humilitas or, as St. Thomas says, from humus, i.e. the earth which is beneath us Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Humility     Humility …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • HUMILITY — (Heb. עֲנָוָה), a humble estimate of one s qualities; decency of thought, speech, and conduct. The presence of many biblical synonyms testifies to its importance as a religious principle. Rabbinic literature ascribes the quality to God Himself,… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • humility — early 14c., from O.Fr. umelite humility, modesty, sweetness, from L. humilitatem (nom. humilitas) lowness, insignificance, in Church Latin meekness, from humilis humble (see HUMBLE (Cf. humble)). In the Mercian hymns, L. humilitatem is glossed by …   Etymology dictionary

  • humility — index homage, respect Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • humility — [n] humbleness, modesty abasement, bashfulness, demureness, diffidence, docility, fawning, inferiority complex, lack of pride, lowliness, meekness, mortification, nonresistance, obedience, obsequiousness, passiveness, reserve, resignation, self… …   New thesaurus

  • humility — ► NOUN ▪ a humble view of one s own importance …   English terms dictionary

  • humility — [hyo͞o mil′ə tē, yo͞omil′ə tē] n. [ME humilite < OFr < L humilitas] the state or quality of being humble; absence of pride or self assertion …   English World dictionary

  • Humility — (Roget s Thesaurus) < N PARAG:Humility >N GRP: N 1 Sgm: N 1 humility humility humbleness Sgm: N 1 meekness meekness lowness Sgm: N 1 lowliness lowliness lowlihood Sgm: N 1 abasement abasement self abasement …   English dictionary for students

  • humility — Virtue shown in OT by outward demonstration of weeping, fasting, and rending of garments (1 Kgs. 21:29; 2 Kgs. 22:11–20; Prov. 3:34). In NT humility is to be as powerless as children (Matt. 18:4), to decline to defend one s status (Phil. 2:8–9),… …   Dictionary of the Bible

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