humility Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun a disposition to be humble; a lack of false pride
humbleness.
- not everyone regards humility as a virtue
noun a humble feeling
humbleness.
- he was filled with humility at the sight of the Pope

OE. humilite, OF. humilité, humelité, F. humilité, fr. L. humiliatis. See Humble.

plural Humilities

The state or quality of being humble; freedom from pride and arrogance; lowliness of mind; a modest estimate of one's own worth; a sense of one's own unworthiness through imperfection and sinfulness; self-abasement; humbleness.
Serving the Lord with all humility of mind. Acts xx. 19.
An act of submission or courtesy.
With these humilities they satisfied the young king. Sir J. Davies.
Syn. -- Lowliness; humbleness; meekness; modesty; diffidence. -- Humility, Modesty, Diffidence. Diffidence is a distrust of our powers, combined with a fear lest our failure should be censured, since a dread of failure unconnected with a dread of censure is not usually called diffidence. It may be carried too far, and is not always, like modesty and humility, a virtue. Modesty, without supposing self-distrust, implies an unwillingness to put ourselves forward, and an absence of all over-confidence in our own powers. Humility consists in rating our claims low, in being willing to waive our rights, and take a lower place than might be our due. It does not require of us to underrate ourselves.