Link Centre Dictionary

dignity

dig·nity

UK/ˈdɪɡnɪti/ US/ˈdɪɡnʌti/ common

noun

1.

the quality of being worthy of esteem or respect

  • “it was beneath his dignity to cheat”
  • “showed his true dignity when under pressure”
Synonyms
2.

formality in bearing and appearance

  • “he behaved with great dignity”
Synonyms
3.

high office or rank or station

  • “he respected the dignity of the emissaries”

Origin

Inherited from Middle English dignyte, from Old French dignité, from Latin dignitās (“worthiness, merit, dignity, grandeur, authority, rank, office”), from dignus (“worthy, appropriate”), from Proto-Italic *degnos, from Proto-Indo-European *dḱ-nos, from *deḱ- (“to take”). See also decus (“honor, esteem”) and decet (“it is fitting”). Cognate to deign. Doublet of dainty. In this sense, displaced native Old English weorþsċipe, which became Modern English worship. It also displaced native Old English hād (“honor, dignity”).

Phrases

  • stand on one's dignity
  • stand upon one's dignity

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.