chastity

noun

chas·​ti·​ty ˈcha-stə-tē 

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

• chasteness
• immaculacy
• innocence
• modesty
• purity

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

Related Stories Robin Williams, who apparently has taken a vow of comic chastity since winning his Good Will Hunting Oscar, plays the robot who wants to be a man. —Kirk Honeycutt, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Dec. 2024

The disagreement surfaced in April 2023 after Olson accused their Reverend Mother Teresa Agnes Gerlach of breaking her chastity vows by having an online love affair with Father Philip Johnson, a former priest from the diocese in Raleigh, N.C., per Chron. —Charna Flam, People.com, 4 Dec. 2024

Iran's parliament has passed a new chastity law to be implemented next week, further tightening already strict dressing restrictions, according to reports. —Jason Fields, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024

When Christianity began to spread throughout Europe, the veil's meaning grew, symbolizing modesty, purity and chastity, Kolosok said. —Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 25 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English chastete, chastite, borrowed from Anglo-French casthetet, chasteté, borrowed from Latin castitāt-, castitās, from castus "free from, free from vice, chaste" + -itāt-, -itās

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing chastity

• chastity belt
• vow of chastity

Kids Definition

chastity

noun

chas·​ti·​ty ˈchas-tət-ē 

: the quality or state of being chaste