humility
noun/hjuːˈmɪlɪti/
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.
1
Usually The characteristic of being humble; humbleness in character and behavior.
- You can tell his humility is real by how he treats ordinary people.
- 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:
1 more example
- 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:
- Related terms
- humble, humiliate, humiliation, humus