humility

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.

• IPA^(key): /hjuːˈmɪlɪti/

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• Rhymes: -ɪlɪti

humility (usually uncountable, plural humilities)

1. The characteristic of being humble; humbleness in character and behavior.
   • 1930, Norman Lindsay, Redheap, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, →OCLC, page 193:

     She had established a character for humility, discretion, noiselessness and religion which Mrs. Piper greatly regretted losing.

• Commonly used to mean “modesty, lack of pride” (with respect to one’s achievements), and in formal religious contexts to refer to a transcendent egolessness.

• egolessness, humilitude, meekness, modesty, self-effacement

• pride

• “humility”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.