Definition of PIETY

piety

Plural: pieties

Noun

  • The quality of being religious or reverent; devoutness.
  • righteousness by virtue of being pious
  • Reverence and devotion to God.
  • Similar reverence to one's parents and family or to one's country.
  • A devout or otherwise laudable act, thought, or statement.
  • A devout or otherwise laudable act, thought, or statement.
  • A platitude that may be empty or at least facile and undercommitted.

Examples

  • Colleen's piety led her to make sacrifices that most people would not have made.
  • He displayed great PIETY towards the Scrabble dictionary, never challenging an accepted word.
  • He was quick with the pieties about hard work, honest communication, active listening, and respecting others' viewpoints, but walking the walk is different from talking the talk.
  • patriotism as piety, when done right

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English piete, borrowed from Middle French pieté, from Latin pietās. See also the doublets pietà and pity. By surface analysis, pious + -ety.

Synonyms

piousness

Antonyms

impiety

Scrabble Score: 10

piety: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
piety: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
piety: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 10

piety: valid Words With Friends Word