Holiness

n.thoughtful, kindformal

What it means

The state of being sacred, spiritually pure, or devoted to divine purpose.

Reach for it when discussing a religious ideal within a named tradition

Her teaching connected holiness with humility, justice, and care for neighbors.

everyday
sacredness
being set apart for religious reverence is the plain meaning
not when Sacredness can belong to an object or site without implying moral purity.
professional
piety
devout belief and observance are visible in conduct
not when Piety describes practice or disposition and can exist alongside moral failure.
formal
godliness
character is understood as resembling or honoring God
not when Godliness presupposes theism, so it mislabels non-theistic accounts of holiness.
formal
sanctity
sacred status and protection from violation are central
not when Sanctity often applies to a place, life, or principle and does not describe personal devotion fully.
literary
blessedness
divine favor or profound spiritual well-being is intended
not when Blessedness emphasizes a received state, while holiness can require disciplined conduct.
literary
purity
freedom from spiritual defilement is the tradition's emphasis
not when Purity language can become exclusionary or confused with bodily, social, or sexual control.

life of holiness
The text describes a life of holiness through service rather than withdrawal.
call to holiness
Their call to holiness includes accountability for harm.
spiritual holiness
Spiritual holiness is defined differently across the traditions represented.

Holiness is tradition-specific; avoid treating one community's theology, purity rules, or devotional practice as universal.

The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.