hallowed

adjective

hal·​lowed ˈha-(ˌ)lōd 

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.

Synonyms

• revered
• reverend
• sacred
• venerable
• venerated

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

For nearly a century, the hallowed halls of Harvard University's Houghton Library had a book bound by human skin among the Ivy League's collection of 20 million books — until a recent decision to remove it. —Leah Sarnoff, ABC News, 28 Mar. 2024

That hallowed path will cross the entire continent, from parts of Mexico, 15 U.S. states, and five Canadian Provinces, exiting the continent at Newfoundland. —Jamie Carter, Travel + Leisure, 27 Mar. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

see hallow

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1