hallowed
adjective
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Hallowed Has Old English Roots
The adjective hallowed, meaning "holy" or "revered," isn’t especially spooky, but its history is entwined with that of a certain spooky season. Hallowed is the past participle of the verb hallow, a term that descends from the Middle English word 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 (hallow was once used also as a noun referring to a saint), and the evening that preceded All Hallows' Day was All Hallows' Eve or All Hallow Even—or, as we know it today, Halloween. (Although pumpkins are often hollowed out on Halloween, hollow has a different Old English root.)
Examples of hallowed in a Sentence
Liam Bowman, Washington Post, 15 June 2026
Chart your own path through American history across the 33 miles of roads and 1,328 monuments on the battlefield, view hallowed ground from atop the Pennsylvania Memorial and see where President Abraham Lincoln gave his historic address at the Gettysburg National Cemetery.
—Usa Today Network, USA Today, 10 June 2026
And even on the sprawling, hallowed grounds of Theresienwiese, home to the world-famous Oktoberfest and its smaller, springtime counterpart, Munchner Fruhlingsfest, alcohol-free beer is no longer considered verboten.
—David Dickstein, Oc Register, 10 June 2026
County commissioner and former Miami Gardens Mayor Oliver Gilbert launched his campaign Sunday at the Black megachurch Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, the same hallowed location as the funeral of Wilson’s predecessor, Carrie Meek.
—Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for hallowed
Cite this Entry
“Hallowed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hallowed. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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