hallowing 1 of 2

noun

as in consecration
the act of making something holy through religious ritual the church's belief that the marriage ceremony is a hallowing of the union between a man and a woman

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hallowing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of hallow
as in blessing
to make holy through prayers or ritual Lincoln's memorable words at the Gettysburg battlefield, "we cannot dedicate—we cannot consecrate—we cannot hallow—this ground"

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of hallowing
Noun
His character represents a hallowing of troop service without mention of what the troops are for or might be sent to do. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hallowing
  1. consecration
  2. blessing
  3. consecrating
  4. sanctifying
  5. dedicating
Noun
  • King Harald’s consecration ceremony took place a few months after his father’s death at the Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim.
    — Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
  • In accordance with their own wishes, Harald and Sonja held a consecration ceremony, which included traditions dating back to the Middle Ages, at Trondheim’s Nidaros Cathedral in central Norway on June 23, 1991.
    — James Frater, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of consecration
Verb
  • Jesse sent a video from Thanksgiving, with Rosemarie blessing her and her family.
    — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
  • By visiting the Basilica and blessing the new tower, the pope follows in the footsteps of Pope Benedict XVI who in 2010 consecrated the Sagrada Familia.
    — Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 10 June 2026
Definition of blessing
Verb
  • But yesterday, the group defied Pope Leo XIV by consecrating four bishops without his approval.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 2 July 2026
  • Under the church’s in-house canon law, consecrating a bishop without papal consent incurs an automatic excommunication for both the people administering the consecration and the bishops receiving it.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026
Definition of consecrating
Verb
  • To say that the Union was sacred and the touchstone of democracy was to strengthen slavery by sanctifying the state that protected it.
    — Dominic Erdozain, Time, 3 July 2026
  • But far from celebrating or sanctifying the throwing off of English rule, the story’s shocking ending portrays the patriots as a fiendish mob, and casts doubt on the bedrock American faith in prosperity.
    — John Swansburg, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026
Definition of sanctifying
Verb
  • Taylor Swift seems to be dedicating one of her new songs to Travis Kelce.
    — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 23 Sep. 2026
  • But the governor compromised and supported several efforts to work around the caps in recent years, including dedicating $712 million outside of the formal budget system to expand affordable childcare.
    — Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of dedicating

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Cite this Entry

“Hallowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hallowing. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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