Holy Definition

hōlē
holier, holies, holiest
adjective
holier, holiest
Dedicated to religious use; belonging to or coming from God; consecrated; sacred.
Webster's New World
Regarded with veneration or specified for a religious purpose.
A holy book; a holy place.
American Heritage
Spiritually perfect or pure; untainted by evil or sin; sinless; saintly.
Webster's New World
Living or undertaken with highly moral or spiritual purpose; saintly.
A holy person; a holy way of life.
American Heritage
Regarded with or deserving deep respect, awe, reverence, or adoration.
Webster's New World
noun
holies
A holy thing or place.
Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Holy

Noun

Singular:
holy
Plural:
holies

Adjective

Base Form:
holy
Comparative:
holier
Superlative:
holiest

Origin of Holy

  • From Middle English holi, hali, from Old English hāliġ, hāleġ (“holy, consecrated, sacred, venerated, godly, saintly, ecclesiastical, pacific, tame”), from Proto-Germanic *hailagaz (“holy, bringing health”), from Proto-Germanic *hailaz (“healthy, whole”), from Proto-Indo-European *kóh₂ilus (“healthy, whole”), equivalent to whole +‎ -y. Cognate with Scots haly (“holy”), West Frisian hillich (“holy”), Low German hillig (“holy”), Dutch heilig (“holy”), German heilig (“holy”), Danish hellig (“holy”), Swedish helig (“holy”). More at whole.

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English holi from Old English hālig kailo- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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