earnest definition | Dictionary.com

ear⋅nest

1 [ur-nist]

–adjective

1.	serious in intention, purpose, or effort; sincerely zealous: an earnest worker.

2.	showing depth and sincerity of feeling: earnest words; an earnest entreaty.

3.	seriously important; demanding or receiving serious attention.

–noun

4.	full seriousness, as of intention or purpose: to speak in earnest.

Origin:
bef. 1000; ME erneste, OE eornoste (adj.); ME ernest, OE eornost (n.); c. D, G ernest

Related forms:

ear⋅nest⋅ly, adverb

ear⋅nest⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. fervent, intent, purposeful, determined, industrious, ambitious. Earnest, resolute, serious, sincere imply having qualities of depth and firmness. Earnest implies having a purpose and being steadily and soberly eager in pursuing it: an earnest student. Resolute adds a quality of determination: resolute in defending the right. Serious implies having depth and a soberness of attitude that contrasts with gaiety and frivolity; it may include the qualities of both earnestness and resolution: serious and thoughtful. Sincere suggests genuineness, trustworthiness, and absence of superficiality: a sincere interest in music.

Antonyms:
1. frivolous.

ear⋅nest

2 [ur-nist]

–noun

1.	a portion of something, given or done in advance as a pledge of the remainder.

2.	Law. earnest money.

3.	anything that gives pledge, promise, or indication of what is to follow.

Origin:
1175–1225; ME ernes(t), alter. of OF erres, pl. of erre earnest money < L arr(h)a short for arr(h)abō (perh. by taking -bō as a future tense ending) < Gk arrhab

n < Sem (cf. Heb ʿērābhōn security, pledge). Cf. arras ²

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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ear·nest¹ (ûr'nĭst)

adj.

Marked by or showing deep sincerity or seriousness: an earnest gesture of goodwill.
Of an important or weighty nature; grave. See Synonyms at serious.

[Middle English ernest, from Old English eornoste; see er-¹ in Indo-European roots.]
ear'nest·ly adv., ear'nest·ness n.

ear·nest² (ûr'nĭst)

Money paid in advance as part payment to bind a contract or bargain.
A token of something to come; a promise or an assurance.

[Middle English ernest, variant of ernes, alteration of Old French erres, pl. of erre, pledge, from Latin arra, alteration of arrabō, from Greek arrabōn, earnest-money, of Canaanite origin; see ʕrb in Semitic roots.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Earnest

Ear"nest\, n. [AS. eornost, eornest; akin to OHG. ernust, G. ernst; cf. Icel. orrosta battle, perh. akin to Gr. ? to excite, L. oriri to rise.] Seriousness; reality; fixed determination; eagerness; intentness.

Take heed that this jest do not one day turn to earnest. --Sir P. Sidney.

And given in earnest what I begged in jest. --Shak.

In earnest, serious; seriously; not in jest; earnestly.

Earnest

Ear"nest\, a. 1. Ardent in the pursuit of an object; eager to obtain or do; zealous with sincerity; with hearty endeavor; heartfelt; fervent; hearty; -- used in a good sense; as, earnest prayers.

An earnest advocate to plead for him. --Shak.

2. Intent; fixed closely; as, earnest attention.

3. Serious; important. [Obs.]

They whom earnest lets do often hinder. --Hooker.

Syn: Eager; warm; zealous; ardent; animated; importunate; fervent; sincere; serious; hearty; urgent. See Eager.

Earnest

Ear"nest\, v. t. To use in earnest. [R.]

To earnest them [our arms] with men. --Pastor Fido (1602).

Earnest

Ear"nest\, n. [Prob. corrupted fr. F. arrhes, L. arra, arrha, arrhabo, Gr. 'arrabw`n, of Semitic origin, cf. Heb. [=e]r[=a]v[=o]n; or perh. fr. W. ernes, akin to Gael. earlas, perh. fr. L. arra. Cf. Arles, Earles penny.]

1. Something given, or a part paid beforehand, as a pledge; pledge; handsel; a token of what is to come.

Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. --2 Cor. i. 22.

And from his coffers Received the golden earnest of our death. --Shak.

2. (Law) Something of value given by the buyer to the seller, by way of token or pledge, to bind the bargain and prove the sale. --Kent. Ayliffe. Benjamin.

Earnest money (Law), money paid as earnest, to bind a bargain or to ratify and prove a sale.

Syn: Earnest, Pledge.

Usage: These words are here compared as used in their figurative sense. Earnest is not so strong as pledge. An earnest, like first fruits, gives assurance, or at least a high probability, that more is coming of the same kind; a pledge, like money deposited, affords security and ground of reliance for the future. Washington gave earnest of his talent as commander by saving his troops after Braddock's defeat; his fortitude and that of his soldiers during the winter at Valley Forge might rightly be considered a pledge of their ultimate triumph.

Language Translation for : earnest

Spanish: serio,

German: ernst,

Japanese: まじめな

More Translations »

earnest

O.E. eornoste (adj.) from a noun eornost "passion, zeal" (surviving only in the phrase in earnest), from P.Gmc. *ern "vigor, briskness" (cf. O.H.G. arnust "struggle," Goth. arniba "safely," O.N. jarna "fight, combat") The proper name Ernest (lit. "resolute") is from the same root.

Main Entry: ear·nest
Pronunciation: '&r-n&st
Function: noun
Etymology: Anglo-French ernes(t) erles, alteration of Old French erres, plural of erre pledge, earnest, alteration of Latin arra, short for arrabo, from Greek arrhabOn, of Semitic origin
: something of value given by a buyer to a seller to bind a bargain

Earnest

The Spirit is the earnest of the believer's destined inheritance (2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5; Eph. 1:14). The word thus rendered is the same as that rendered "pledge" in Gen. 38:17-20; "indeed, the Hebrew word has simply passed into the Greek and Latin languages, probably through commercial dealings with the Phoenicians, the great trading people of ancient days. Originally it meant no more than a pledge; but in common usage it came to denote that particular kind of pledge which is a part of the full price of an article paid in advance; and as it is joined with the figure of a seal when applied to the Spirit, it seems to be used by Paul in this specific sense." The Spirit's gracious presence and working in believers is a foretaste to them of the blessedness of heaven. God is graciously pleased to give not only pledges but foretastes of future blessedness.

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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earnest

see in earnest.

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