chastity

noun

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chas·ti·ty | \ ˈcha-stə-tē

Definition of chastity

1 : the quality or state of being chaste: such as

a : abstention from unlawful sexual intercourse

b : abstention from all sexual intercourse The priest took a vow of chastity.

c : purity in conduct and intention sought to protect her threatened chastity

d : restraint and simplicity in design or expression … describes the familiar campaigns with an admirable chastity of diction.— Richard Brookhiser

2 : personal integrity

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Phrases Containing chastity Learn More About chastity

Examples of chastity in a Sentence

a saint who is often held up as a model of chastity vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience

Recent Examples on the Web Between the goddess and her nymphs, bathing in the sacred grotto, lives the premise of chastity even as the nymphs flirt in their eloquent poses. — Claudia Rankine, Harper’s Magazine , 20 July 2022 And they would still be expected to practice total romantic discretion, if not chastity. — E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 21 June 2022 Either/Or shares none of the chastity of its predecessor. — Jennifer Wilson, The Atlantic, 19 Apr. 2022 Catholic religious orders, such as the Benedictines, Jesuits, Franciscans or Dominicans, require their members—nuns, brothers or priests—to take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. — WSJ, 26 Mar. 2022 On his way to fight the Trojan War, King Agamemnon accidentally kills a favorite stag of Artemis, the goddess of wild animals and chastity. — Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2022 Those who act against that chastity rule risk losing their standing in the church. — The Salt Lake Tribune, 14 Feb. 2022 That accords with the law of chastity of the faith, which Hawes believes is reasonable to ask students at BYU to follow. — Courtney Tanner, The Salt Lake Tribune, 20 Jan. 2022 The corrupt governor offers to exchange a pardon for Susanna’s chastity, so the siblings and town sheriff devise a plan to disguise a prostitute named Bella Rose as Susanna for the assignation. — San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Jan. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'chastity.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.