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pious

 - 3 dictionary results

pi⋅ous

  [pahy-uhs]
Use pious in a Sentence
–adjective
1. having or showing a dutiful spirit of reverence for God or an earnest wish to fulfill religious obligations.
2. characterized by a hypocritical concern with virtue or religious devotion; sanctimonious.
3. practiced or used in the name of real or pretended religious motives, or for some ostensibly good object; falsely earnest or sincere: a pious deception.
4. of or pertaining to religious devotion; sacred rather than secular: pious literature.
5. having or showing appropriate respect or regard for parents or others.
Origin:
1595–1605; < L pius, akin to piāre to propitiate

Related forms:
pi⋅ous⋅ly, adverb
pi⋅ous⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. devout, godly, reverent. See religious.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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pi·ous   (pī'əs)   
adj.  

  1. Having or exhibiting religious reverence; earnestly compliant in the observance of religion; devout. See Synonyms at religious.

    1. Marked by conspicuous devoutness: a pious and holy observation.

    2. Marked by false devoutness; solemnly hypocritical: a pious fraud.

  3. Devotional: pious readings.

  4. Professing or exhibiting a strict, traditional sense of virtue and morality; high-minded.

  5. Commendable; worthy: a pious effort.


[From Latin pius, dutiful.]
pi'ous·ly adv., pi'ous·ness n.
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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Word Origin & History

pious 
1602, from L. pius "dutiful, kind, devout," perhaps related to L. purus "pure, clean" (see pure).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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