solemn

adjective

sol·​emn ˈsä-ləm How to pronounce solemn (audio)
1
: marked by the invocation of a religious sanction
a solemn oath
2
: marked by the observance of established form or ceremony
specifically : celebrated with full liturgical ceremony
3
a
: awe-inspiring : sublime
solemn beauty
b
: marked by grave sedateness and earnest sobriety
a solemn gathering
c
: somber, gloomy
a solemn gray building
solemnly adverb
solemnness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for solemn

serious, grave, solemn, sedate, staid, sober, earnest mean not light or frivolous.

serious implies a concern for what really matters.

a serious play about social injustice

grave implies both seriousness and dignity in expression or attitude.

read the proclamation in a grave voice

solemn suggests an impressive gravity utterly free from levity.

a sad and solemn occasion

sedate implies a composed and decorous seriousness.

remained sedate amid the commotion

staid suggests a settled, accustomed sedateness and prim self-restraint.

a quiet and staid community

sober stresses seriousness of purpose and absence of levity or frivolity.

a sober look at the state of our schools

earnest suggests sincerity or often zealousness of purpose.

an earnest reformer

Examples of solemn in a Sentence

The women running the office where I was given immunizations and completed more paperwork said they had a young friend back in the District who would love my British accent. They were going to call her this very instant, they teased, and then I'd have a companion for the evening. They also talked in more solemn tones about all the brave men and women who came through the base and then shipped off to Iraq. Willem Marx, Harper's, September 2006
Caesar was slaughtered in a sanctified space, his body was sacrosanct since he held the position of supreme pontiff, and his assassins had recently taken a solemn oath to protect his life with their own. Yet none of this seems to have figured prominently in the charges that were laid against his killers. Robert Garland, History Today, February 2004
The testimony may well have had serious judicial consequences, even lethal ones, but its style is so glum and flat-footed that it gives an impression not of solemn majesty but of grotesque comedy … Jonathan Ree, Times Literary Supplement, 13 Aug. 2004
To the vast majority of people in this Muslim nation of 145 million, Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance, not war and hatred. It requires that women dress modestly, but not make themselves invisible. Its mosques are solemn and silent, but its shrines are relaxed and colorful. Its liturgy says Islam should be spread by persuasion, not by force … Pamela Constable, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2001
He spoke in a solemn and thoughtful manner. He wore a very solemn expression on his face. He recited the poem in a solemn voice. A solemn crowd gathered around the grave. We made a solemn promise to love each other forever.
Recent Examples on the Web The phrase evokes a solemn CEO scanning the sky from the deck of the corporate ship. Sam Dean, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 His face bore not the solemn trace of history but the mark of the national rot to come. Joseph O’Neill, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 At the funeral, Princess Anne stood in for her brother King Charles at the solemn ceremony in Athens. Simon Perry, Peoplemag, 27 Feb. 2024 Marc Pachter, who transformed the National Portrait Gallery in Washington from a collection primarily of solemn paintings of old white men into a more up-to-date museum that now includes illustrations and interviews with diverse living luminaries, died on Feb. 17 in Bangkok. Sam Roberts, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2024 Fair Venus moves into serious Capricorn at 3:50 am EST, invoking solemn efforts to even out our connections with others and our finances. Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 23 Jan. 2024 The funeral march is solemn yet persistent with buoyant klezmer moments, while the shimmering Adagietto, though beautiful, is more distressing. Gia Kourlas, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024 The pop approach to music and politics is no less solemn than the lugubrious 1982 biopic Gandhi. Armond White, National Review, 16 Feb. 2024 Penned over three centuries ago by English philosopher John Locke, these words serve as a solemn reminder to everyone entering the Supreme Court’s chambers. Natalie Hudson, Twin Cities, 11 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'solemn.' 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

Middle English solempne, from Anglo-French, from Latin sollemnis regularly appointed, solemn

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of solemn was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near solemn

Cite this Entry

“Solemn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/solemn. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

solemn

adjective
sol·​emn ˈsäl-əm How to pronounce solemn (audio)
: being serious and dignified in appearance or behavior
solemnity
sə-ˈlem-nət-ē
noun
solemnly
ˈsäl-əm-lē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on solemn

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!