Synonyms of piety

piety

noun

ˈpī-ə-tē 

1

as in religion

belief and trust in and loyalty to God

her piety is quiet but profound

Synonyms & Similar Words

• religion
• faith
• devotion
• adoration
• profession
• worship
• reverence
• religiousness
• devoutness
• veneration
• piousness
• protestation

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• atheism
• godlessness
• doubt
• unbelief
• disbelief
• unfaith
• agnosticism
• apostasy
• lapse
• tergiversation
• know-nothingism

2

as in holiness

the quality or state of being spiritually pure or virtuous

among fellow clerics he is respected and admired for his piety

Synonyms & Similar Words

• holiness
• spirituality
• devoutness
• devotion
• prayerfulness
• sanctity
• morality
• saintliness
• godliness
• sainthood
• virtue
• blessedness
• piousness
• religiousness
• goodness
• saintship
• asceticism
• righteousness
• consecration
• rectitude
• sacredness
• virtuousness
• uprightness
• priestliness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• impiety
• unholiness
• godlessness
• ungodliness
• irreverence
• wickedness
• sinfulness
• depravity
• hypocrisy
• vileness
• evilness
• heinousness
• monstrosity
• sanctimony
• sanctimoniousness
• sacrilegiousness
• blasphemousness
• depravedness

3

as in devotion

adherence to something to which one is bound by a pledge or duty

familial piety keeps me from refusing to help my brother in this financial crisis

Synonyms & Similar Words

• devotion
• allegiance
• loyalty
• dedication
• commitment
• fidelity
• faithfulness
• steadfastness
• fealty
• faith
• attachment
• devotedness
• adhesion
• constancy
• affection
• troth
• fastness
• fondness
• determination
• firmness
• dependability
• resolution
• reliability
• trustworthiness
• trustiness
• trustability

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• treachery
• disloyalty
• faithlessness
• perfidy
• falsity
• falseness
• infidelity
• inconstancy
• unfaithfulness
• alienation
• disaffection
• separation
• perfidiousness
• estrangement

Synonym Chooser

How is the word piety distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of piety are allegiance, devotion, fealty, fidelity, and loyalty. While all these words mean "faithfulness to something to which one is bound by pledge or duty," piety stresses fidelity to obligations regarded as natural and fundamental.

filial piety

When would allegiance be a good substitute for piety?

While the synonyms allegiance and piety are close in meaning, allegiance suggests an adherence like that of citizens to their country.

pledging allegiance

When is it sensible to use devotion instead of piety?

While in some cases nearly identical to piety, devotion stresses zeal and service amounting to self-dedication.

a painter's devotion to her art

When might fealty be a better fit than piety?

Although the words fealty and piety have much in common, fealty implies a fidelity acknowledged by the individual and as compelling as a sworn vow.

fealty to the truth

When can fidelity be used instead of piety?

The meanings of fidelity and piety largely overlap; however, fidelity implies strict and continuing faithfulness to an obligation, trust, or duty.

marital fidelity

When could loyalty be used to replace piety?

The synonyms loyalty and piety are sometimes interchangeable, but loyalty implies a faithfulness that is steadfast in the face of any temptation to renounce, desert, or betray.

valued the loyalty of his friends

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of piety

Filial piety, the act of honoring and caring for one’s elders, is a virtue deeply rooted in my culture. —Venus Wong, Travel + Leisure, 5 Apr. 2026

Fisher will portray the recurring role of Michael Jorie, a dangerous killer with a warped sense of righteousness and piety to his beliefs that fuel his involvement in a southwestern gang with a long history of violence. —Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 31 Mar. 2026

Ancient Chinese rituals also celebrated the cultural significance of pickling, with fermented vegetables used in ancestor worship as symbols of continuity and filial piety. —Literary Hub, 31 Mar. 2026

Donghwa—who’s revealed to be thirty-five—rhapsodizes about Oryeong’s devotion, and filial piety over all, although (and, perhaps, because) his own family bonds are strained. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2026