What does "solemnity" mean?
Solemnity: ceremony adapted to impress with awe. The forms and solemnities of the last judgment. Atterburry.
Additional senses
- 2.Ceremoniousness; impressiveness; seriousness; grave earnestness; formal dignity; gravity. With much glory and great solemnity. Chaucer. The statelines and gravity of the Spaniards shows itself in the solemnity of their language. Addison. These promises were often made with great solemnity and confirmed with an oath. J. Edwards.
- 3.Hence, affected gravity or seriousness. Solemnity 's a cover for a sot. Young.
- 4.Solemn state or feeling; awe or reverence; also, that which produces such a feeling; as, the solemnity of an audience; the solemnity of Westminster Abbey.
- 5.(Law) A solemn or formal observance; proceeding according to due form; the formality which is necessary to render a thing done valid.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
- Canonical URL: https://worddirectanswers.com/answers/what-does-solemnity-mean
- Steward: Jason Burns
- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00