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 Quickly defying gravity into that hallowed arena is Emmy, Grammy, and Tony winner Cynthia Erivo, who earned two Oscar nominations for 2019’s Harriet, Best Actress and Best Original Song. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, only 6% of Baby Boomers (1955 to 1964) enjoyed late-night shifts, with the majority preferring to log on to work before 9am and stick with the hallowed 9 to 5. David Morel, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 The word has taken on hallowed tones as an intrinsic good. Christine Kilpatrick, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2024 In a speech on the Senate floor, Cruz framed AM radio as a bastion of free speech and invoked such hallowed right-wing names as Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Glenn Beck, all of whom got their start on its airwaves. Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 21 Feb. 2024 In taking on McCarthy, Gaetz was violating hallowed traditions. Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024 His legacy will always live in the halls of our hallowed Capitol. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 29 Feb. 2024 In the roughly 30 years since Austin has been living at and looking after the property full-time, but is now ready to part ways with the hallowed home. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 28 Feb. 2024 The traffic-free tour took me to the steps of the Capitol—hallowed ground for disabled activists ever since the late great Judy Heumann and others dragged themselves up the steps and, in so doing, ushered in the groundbreaking Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. Sophie Morgan, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Feb. 2024

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

Dictionary Entries Near hallowed

Cite this Entry

“Hallowed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hallowed. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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