Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Holy
Ho′ly
,Adj.
[
Com
par.
Holier
; sup
erl.
Holiest
.] 1.
Set apart to the service or worship of God; hallowed; sacred; reserved from profane or common use; holy vessels; a holy priesthood.
“Holy rites and solemn feasts.” Milton.
2.
Spiritually whole or sound; of unimpaired innocence and virtue; free from sinful affections; pure in heart; godly; pious; irreproachable; guiltless; acceptable to God.
Now through her round of
The Church our annual steps has brought.
holy
thoughtThe Church our annual steps has brought.
Keble.
Holy Alliance
(Hist.)
, a league ostensibly for conserving religion, justice, and peace in Europe, but really for repressing popular tendencies toward constitutional government, entered into by
– Alexander I.
of Russia, Francis I.
of Austria, and Frederic William III.
of Prussia, at Paris, on the 26th of September, 1815, and subsequently joined by all the sovereigns of Europe, except the pope and the king of England. Holy bark
. See
– Cascara sagrada
. Holy Communion
. See
– Eucharist
. Holy family
(Art)
, a picture in which the infant Christ, his parents, and others of his family are represented.
– Holy Father
, a title of the pope.
– Holy Ghost
(Theol.)
, the third person of the Trinity; the Comforter; the Paraclete.
– Holy Grail
. See
– Grail
. Holy grass
(Bot.)
, a sweet-scented grass (
– Hierochloa borealis
and Hierochloa alpina
). In the north of Europe it was formerly strewed before church doors on saints’ days; whence the name. It is common in the northern and western parts of the United States. Called also vanilla grass
or Seneca grass
. Holy Innocents' day
, Childermas day.
– Holy Land
, Palestine, the birthplace of Christianity.
– Holy office
, the Inquisition.
– Holy of holies
(Script.)
, the innermost apartment of the Jewish tabernacle or temple, where the ark was kept, and where no person entered, except the high priest once a year.
– Holy One
. (a)
The Supreme Being; – so called by way of emphasis.
“ The Holy One of Israel.” Is. xliii. 14.
(b)
One separated to the service of God.
– Holy orders
. See
– Order
. Holy rood
, the cross or crucifix, particularly one placed, in churches. over the entrance to the chancel.
– Holy rope
, a plant, the hemp agrimony.
– Holy Saturday
(Eccl.)
, the Saturday immediately preceding the festival of Easter; the vigil of Easter.
– Holy Spirit
, same as
– Holy Ghost
(above). Holy Spirit plant
. See
– Dove plant
. Holy thistle
(Bot.)
, the blessed thistle. See under
– Thistle
. Holy Thursday
. (Eccl.)
(a)
(Episcopal Ch.)
Ascension day.
(b)
(R. C. Ch.)
The Thursday in Holy Week; Maundy Thursday.
– Holy war
, a crusade; an expedition carried on by Christians against the Saracens in the Holy Land, in the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth centuries, for the possession of the holy places.
– Holy water
(Gr. & R. C. Churches)
, water which has been blessed by the priest for sacred purposes.
– Holy-water stoup
, the stone stoup or font placed near the entrance of a church, as a receptacle for holy water.
– Holy Week
(Eccl.)
, the week before Easter, in which the passion of our Savior is commemorated.
– Holy writ
, the sacred Scriptures.
“ Word of holy writ.” Wordsworth.
Webster 1828 Edition
Holy
HO'LY
, a.1.
Properly, whole, entire or perfect, in a moral sense. Hence, pure in heart, temper or dispositions; free from sin and sinful affections. Applied to the Supreme Being, holy signifies perfectly pure, immaculate and complete in moral character; and man is more or less holy, as his heart is more or less sanctified, or purified from evil dispositions. We call a man holy,when his heart is conformed in some degree to the image of God, and his life is regulated by the divine precepts. Hence, holy is used as nearly synonymous with good, pious, godly. Be ye holy; for I am holy. 1 pet.1.
2.
Hallowed; consecrated or set apart to a sacred use, or to the service or worship of God; a sense frequent in Scripture; as the holy sabbath; holy oil; holy vessels; a holy nation; the holy temple; a holy priesthood.3.
Proceeding from pious principles,or directed to pious purposes; as holy zeal.4.
Perfectly just and good; as the holy law of God.5.
Sacred; as a holy witness.Holy of holies, in Scripture, the innermost apartment of the Jewish tabernacle or temple, where the ark was kept,and where no person entered, except the high priest, once a year.
Holy Ghost, or Holy Spirit, the Divine Spirit; the third person in the Trinity; the sanctifier of souls.
Holy war, a war undertaken to rescue the holy land, the ancient Judea, from the infidels; a crusade; an expedition carried on by christians against the Saracens in the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth centuries; a war carried on in a most unholy manner.
Definition 2024
Holy
Holy
English
Adjective
Holy
- Alternative letter-case form of holy used when referring to an important figure, such as God, or to an important item or event.
holy
holy
English
Adjective
holy (comparative holier, superlative holiest)
- Dedicated to a religious purpose or a god.
- I'm planning to visit the holy city of Mecca this Ramadan.
- Revered in a religion.
- Perfect or flawless.
- Separated or set apart from (something unto something or someone else).
- Set apart or dedicated for a specific purpose, or for use by a single entity or person.
- (slang) Used as an intensifier in various interjections.
- Holy cow, I can’t believe he actually lost the race!
Synonyms
- (dedicated to a religious purpose or a god): sacred
- (revered in a religion): sacred
- (perfect, flawless): faultless, flawless, perfect
- (separated or set apart from something): sanctified
- (set apart or dedicated for a specific purpose): reserved, special
Antonyms
- (dedicated to a religious purpose or a god):
- (revered in a religion): profane, secular, unholy, worldly
- (perfect, flawless): damaged, defective, faulty, flawed, imperfect
- (separated or set apart from something):
- (set apart or dedicated for a specific purpose): common
Derived terms
terms derived from holy
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Translations
dedicated to a religious purpose
|
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revered in a religion
|
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flawless
separated from or set apart
|
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dedicated for a specific purpose
slang intensifier
Noun
holy (plural holies)
- (archaic) A thing that is extremely holy; used almost exclusively in Holy of Holies.
- Franz von Reber, Joseph Thacher Clarke, History of Ancient Art (1882) p. 146:
- The holy of holies, a cubical space of ten cubits on the side, was separated from the larger antechamber by four columns, which were also covered with gold and stood upon silver sockets; they bore a second curtain of four colors.
- Franz von Reber, Joseph Thacher Clarke, History of Ancient Art (1882) p. 146:
Derived terms
- holiest of holies
- Holy of Holies