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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, 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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Medicine is a hallowed profession. Dr. Jacqueline A. Hart, Boston Herald, 22 Nov. 2025 There are fewer than three dozen homes that back abut the hallowed greens and fairways of the Pebble Beach Golf Links on the dramatic Central Coast of California, and one of them, directly overlooking the 11th hole, can now be yours. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 14 Nov. 2025 With irreverence and biting wit, Quezon dissects a myth, revealing the timeless thirst for power animating a hallowed historical figure. Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 13 Nov. 2025 Some might be offended by an upstart office appropriating the hallowed Blue nickname. Big Think, 12 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hallowed

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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Cite this Entry

“Hallowed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hallowed. Accessed 1 Dec. 2025.

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