hallowed

adjective

hal·​lowed ˈha-(ˌ)lōd How to pronounce hallowed (audio)
ˈha-ləd,
 in the Lord's Prayer often  ˈha-lə-wəd
1
: holy, consecrated
the church stands on hallowed ground
2
: sacred, revered
the university's hallowed halls
hallowed customs

Did you know?

Hallowed Has Old English Roots

The adjective hallowed probably doesn't give you the shivers—or does it? Hallowed is the past participle of the verb hallow, a term that descends from the Middle English halowen. That word can be traced back to the Old English adjective hālig, meaning "holy." During the Middle Ages, All Hallows' Day was the name for what Christians now call All Saints' Day, and the evening that preceded All Hallows' Day was All Hallows' Eve or All Hallow Even—or, as we know it today, Halloween.

Examples of hallowed in a Sentence

The church stands on hallowed ground. the college's hallowed tradition of ringing the chapel bell one hundred times before commencement ceremonies
Recent Examples on the Web The vaults are considered hallowed ground: Native visitors often pray upon entering, Jim Regnier, a volunteer docent, told me. Lia Picard, Travel + Leisure, 16 Oct. 2024 With a resumé full of tie-in stories for the Star Trek and Star Wars universes, as well as a comics run on Marvel’s Iron Man, the seasoned scribe knows a thing or two about digging in hallowed sandboxes. Josh Weiss, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024 The festival, which takes place in Somerset, England frequently attracts international superstars for headline appearances on the hallowed Pyramid Stage. Thomas Smith, Billboard, 11 Oct. 2024 Roughly 90 miles south of Atlanta, an effort to elevate the Muscogee Nation's hallowed grounds to national parks status is reaching a crucial stage. Thomas Wheatley, Axios, 11 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hallowed 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hallowed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see hallow

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hallowed was before the 12th century

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Dictionary Entries Near hallowed

Cite this Entry

“Hallowed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hallowed. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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