Solemnity
//səˈlɛmnɪti// noun
noun ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The quality of being deeply serious and sober or solemn. countable, uncountable
"the solemnity of a funeral"
- 2 a trait of dignified seriousness wordnet
- 3 An instance or example of solemn behavior; a rite or ceremony performed with reverence. countable, uncountable
"Great was the cauſe; our old ſolemnities / From no blind zeal or fond tradition riſe, / But ſav'd from death, our Argives yearly pay / Theſe grateful honours to the God of Day."
- 4 a solemn and dignified feeling wordnet
- 5 A feast day of the highest rank celebrating a mystery of faith such as the Trinity, an event in the life of Jesus, the Virgin Mary, or another important saint. countable, uncountable
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- 6 A solemn or formal observance; proceeding according to due form; the formality which is necessary to render a thing done valid. countable, uncountable
- 7 A celebration or festivity. countable, obsolete, uncountable
Example
More examples"Moses said: We will go with our young and old, with our sons and daughters, with our sheep and herds: for it is the solemnity of the Lord our God."
Etymology
From solemn + -ity, from Middle English solemnity (“observance of formality and ceremony”), frequently in the phrases in solemnity, with solemnity, which from Old French solemnite, from Latin sollemnitās, from sollemnis. (Compare solemn.)
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.