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.
Amazon $350 Target Sony’s hallowed WH-1000XM4 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) headphones have been bouncing up and down in price since the XM5 was released. Simon Hill, Wired News, 12 July 2025 And there's something ironic about such a proudly nasty and irreverent series having a place in the hallowed halls of television history. Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 10 July 2025 Because this is the hallowed ground where the Mexican Martini was born. Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025 To play for the Stanley Cup that has eluded him, the Stars need to flip the script on the Oilers, with McDavid and Draisaitl also motivated 11 months since falling one game short of hockey’s hallowed trophy. Stephen Whyno, Chicago Tribune, 19 May 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 22 Jul. 2025.

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