Humilities

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Humility \Hu*mil"i*ty\, n.; pl. {Humilities}. [OE. humilite, OF.
     humilit['e], humelit['e], F. humilit['e], fr. L. humiliatis.
     See {Humble}.]
     1. The state or quality of being humble; freedom from pride
        and arrogance; lowliness of mind; a modest estimate of
        one's own worth; a sense of one's own unworthiness through


        imperfection and sinfulness; self-abasement; humbleness.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Serving the Lord with all humility of mind. --Acts
                                                    xx. 19.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. An act of submission or courtesy.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              With these humilities they satisfied the young king.
                                                    --Sir J.
                                                    Davies.
  
     Syn: Lowliness; humbleness; meekness; modesty; diffidence.
  
     Usage: {Humility}, {Modesty}, {Diffidence}. Diffidence is a
            distrust of our powers, combined with a fear lest our
            failure should be censured, since a dread of failure
            unconnected with a dread of censure is not usually
            called diffidence. It may be carried too far, and is
            not always, like modesty and humility, a virtue.
            Modesty, without supposing self-distrust, implies an
            unwillingness to put ourselves forward, and an absence
            of all over-confidence in our own powers. Humility
            consists in rating our claims low, in being willing to
            waive our rights, and take a lower place than might be
            our due. It does not require of us to underrate
            ourselves.
            [1913 Webster]