ho·li·ness
ˈhō-lē-nəs 
1
: the quality or state of being holy
—used as a title for various high religious dignitaries
His Holiness the Pope
often capitalized
: emphasizing the doctrine of the second blessing
specifically
: of or relating to a perfectionist movement arising in U.S. Protestantism in the late 19th century
Examples of holiness in a Sentence
Noun
the holiness of this sacred place
known throughout the world for his holiness, the prophet was visited daily by hundreds of pilgrims
Recent Examples on the Web
Casey Cep, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
In this novel no one of these paths is holier than another; Wood is more invested in noticing the human pursuit of holiness itself.
—Lauren Christensen, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2025
This was during a semi-private audience with his holiness at Castello Gandolfo, il papa’s summer residence.
—Chris Wallace, Vogue, 4 Feb. 2025
White is generally associated with purity and holiness.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2025
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Noun
Parham, a former Methodist married to a woman from a Quaker family, had come to Kansas from Iowa, after touring holiness camps and talking with global missionaries, some of whom told him about seeing recent converts slip into trances and speak in tongues.
—Casey Cep, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
In this novel no one of these paths is holier than another; Wood is more invested in noticing the human pursuit of holiness itself.
—Lauren Christensen, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2025
This was during a semi-private audience with his holiness at Castello Gandolfo, il papa’s summer residence.
—Chris Wallace, Vogue, 4 Feb. 2025
White is generally associated with purity and holiness.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for holiness
Cite this Entry
“Holiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/holiness. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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