51Թ

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chastity

[ chas-ti-tee ]

noun

  1. the state or quality of being chaste.


chastity

/ ˈʃæɪɪ /

noun

  1. the state of being chaste; purity
  2. abstention from sexual intercourse; virginity or celibacy

    a vow of chastity

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other 51Թ Forms

  • ԴDz·󲹲t·ٲ noun
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of chastity1

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English chastite, variant of chastete, from Old French, from Latin پ-, stem of پ; equivalent to chaste + -ity
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of chastity1

C13: from Old French 󲹲ٱé, from Latin پ, from castus chaste
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Iran's National Security Council has paused the implementation of the controversial "hijab and chastity law", which had been due to come into force on Friday.

From

Weeks before the unrest in the summer of 2022, President Raisi had ordered a tightening of Iran's "hijab and chastity law" which obligated women to behave and dress modestly.

From

The sisters’ vows of chastity and poverty and the air of secrecy that shrouds their cloistered lives are all intriguingly antithetical to modern Western values of sex, money and fame.

From

Hollywood embraces sex: After a period of relative chastity, big movies are bringing back eroticism.

From

He also suggested she was much more experienced than her clerical counterpart, who supposedly was bound by a vow of chastity, in matters of sex.

From

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About This 51Թ

What doeschastity mean?

Chastity most commonly refers to the quality or virtue of refraining from sexual activity that’s considered immoral, especially according to the teachings of a certain religion.

It sometimes means about the same thing as celibacy—refraining from all sexual activity. When members of certain religions take a vow of chastity, this is usually what it means.

Chastity is the quality of being chaste. The word chaste can be used to describe someone who refrains sexual activity considered immoral or any sexual activity. Chaste can also be used in a more general way to mean morally pure.

Example: When I went to Catholic high school, my religion teachers always emphasized the virtue of chastity.

Where doeschastity come from?

The first records of the word chastity come from around 1200. It ultimately comes from the Latin castus, meaning “pure.” The word caste comes from the same root. The suffix -ity is used to form abstract nouns.

What’s considered morally pure heavily depends on cultural and religious norms, and the idea of chastity may differ from one religion to another or one person to another. In Christianity, the word chastity often refers to the avoidance of sexual activity outside of marriage or sexual activity without the goal of reproduction. Describing someone as unchaste is a moral judgment, and the person may take offense to this, especially if they don’t believe in the same set of morals. In many religions, the promotion of chastity has traditionally been directed more toward women, leading some people to criticize such lessons as sexist or oppressive.

Chastity appears in the phrase chastity belt, a type of device that typically covers the genitals and is designed to prevent sexual contact with the person wearing it.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to chastity?

  • nonchastity (noun)
  • chaste (adjective)

What are some synonyms for chastity?

What are some words that share a root or word element with chastity?

What are some words that often get used in discussing chastity?

How ischastity used in real life?

The word chastity is usually used in the context of religion, or in the criticism of religious teaching about such things.

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