Dictionary

humility en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /hjuːˈmɪlɪti/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English humilite, from Old French (h)umilité, from Latin humilitas (“lowness, meanness, baseness, in Late Latin humility”), from humilis (“low, lowly, humble, earth”). Equivalent to humble + -ity, with /mb/ reduced to /m/ (compare plumbing). Displaced native Old English ēaþmōdnes. Doublet of omertà.

Meanings

1. (uncountable, usually) The characteristic of being humble; humbleness in character and behavior.
   • By the end of the tenth century, Edith's humility had inspired a cult of holy wells in Kent, Staffordshire, and Herefordshire. 1999, Robert Lacey, Danny Danziger, The Year 1000: What life was like at the turn of The First Millennium, London: Abacus, published 2000, page 170:
   • She had established a character for humility, discretion, noiselessness and religion which Mrs. Piper greatly regretted losing. 1930, Norman Lindsay, Redheap, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, →OCLC, page 193:
   • You can tell his humility is real by how he treats ordinary people.

Forms

Antonyms

pride

Relateds

humiliate · humiliation · humus · humble

Synonyms

egolessness · meekness · humilitude · self-effacement · modesty

Translations (87)

grc ταπεινοφροσύνη (characteristic of being humble) · fi nöyryys (characteristic of being humble) · ota تواضع (characteristic of being humble) · ru поко́рность (characteristic of being humble) · got 𐌷𐌰𐌿𐌽𐌹𐌸𐌰 (characteristic of being humble) · mk скромност (characteristic of being humble) · sh poniznost (characteristic of being humble) · ml വിനയം (characteristic of being humble) · de Bescheidenheit (characteristic of being humble) · grc ταπεινότης (characteristic of being humble) · id kerendahhatian (characteristic of being humble) · cs skromnost (characteristic of being humble) · bg смире́ние (characteristic of being humble) · da ydmyghed (characteristic of being humble) · ru смире́ние (characteristic of being humble) · th ความนอบน้อม (characteristic of being humble) · sq vutësi (characteristic of being humble) · hi विनय (characteristic of being humble) · bg смире́ност (characteristic of being humble) · sh skromnost (characteristic of being humble) · be пако́рнасць (characteristic of being humble) · pl pokora (characteristic of being humble) · he צְנִיעוּת (characteristic of being humble) · uk покі́рність (characteristic of being humble) · el ταπεινότητα (characteristic of being humble) · id kerendahan hati (characteristic of being humble) · it umiltà (characteristic of being humble) · ca humilitat (characteristic of being humble) · vo mük (characteristic of being humble) · nv tʼahʼágo ájítʼé (characteristic of being humble) · az təvazö (characteristic of being humble) · nl deemoed (characteristic of being humble) · hi विनम्रता (characteristic of being humble) · sv ödmjukhet (characteristic of being humble) · th ความถ่อมตัว (characteristic of being humble) · ang ēaþmōdnes (characteristic of being humble) · uk скро́мність (characteristic of being humble) · gl humildade (characteristic of being humble) · ne विनम्रता (characteristic of being humble) · eo humileco (characteristic of being humble) · mi māhakitanga (characteristic of being humble) · sk pokora (characteristic of being humble) · te ఒద్దిక (characteristic of being humble) · is auðmýkt (characteristic of being humble) · ga uirísle (characteristic of being humble) · sh skrušenost (characteristic of being humble) · nb ydmykhet (characteristic of being humble) · ro umilință (characteristic of being humble) · ja 謙遜 (characteristic of being humble) · be пако́рлівасць (characteristic of being humble) · es humildad (characteristic of being humble) · mi māhaki (characteristic of being humble) · cmn 謙卑 /谦卑 (characteristic of being humble) · tr tevazu (characteristic of being humble) · he ענווה (characteristic of being humble) · sk skromnosť (characteristic of being humble) · be скро́мнасць (characteristic of being humble) · hi नम्रता (characteristic of being humble) · got 𐌷𐌰𐌿𐌽𐌴𐌹𐌽𐍃 (characteristic of being humble) · cs pokora (characteristic of being humble) · fr humilité (characteristic of being humble) · ka თავმდაბლობა (characteristic of being humble) · fa تواضع (characteristic of being humble) · is hógværð (characteristic of being humble) · bg скро́мност (characteristic of being humble) · cmn 謙遜 /谦逊 (characteristic of being humble) · sh smernost (characteristic of being humble) · uk покі́рливість (characteristic of being humble) · ka მოკრძალებულობა (characteristic of being humble) · sl ponižnost (characteristic of being humble) · ko 겸손 (characteristic of being humble) · pro umilitat (characteristic of being humble) · oc umilitat (characteristic of being humble) · de Demut (characteristic of being humble) · hu alázat (characteristic of being humble) · ne नम्रता (characteristic of being humble) · ru смире́нность (characteristic of being humble) · ar تَوَاضُع (characteristic of being humble) · ga umhlaíocht (characteristic of being humble) · pt humildade (characteristic of being humble) · bg поко́рност (characteristic of being humble) · ru скро́мность (characteristic of being humble) · zdj unyenyekevu (characteristic of being humble) · uk смире́нність (characteristic of being humble) · yi שפֿלות (characteristic of being humble) · nl nederigheid (characteristic of being humble) · ro umilitate (characteristic of being humble)