Meaning & use
dignity
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountable
A calm, serious manner that earns respect, especially under difficult conditions.
Grammar: Uncountable; often follows with: she faced it with dignity.
Patterns
- with dignity
- a sense of dignity
She accepted the criticism with quiet dignity.
He walked out of the courtroom with great dignity.
The old man kept his dignity even in poverty.
noununcountable
The basic value and worth that every person has and that deserves respect.
Grammar: Often used in human rights language: human dignity.
Patterns
- the dignity of something
- treat someone with dignity
Every patient deserves to be treated with dignity.
The law protects the dignity of workers.
Charities try to help people without taking away their dignity.
nouncountable or uncountableformal
A high rank or position, or the seriousness that goes with it.
Grammar: Formal; usually seen in older or ceremonial contexts.
Patterns
- the dignity of office
He took the dignity of his new office seriously.
The queen carried herself with the dignity of her rank.
The ceremony added dignity to the occasion.
Word forms
| plural | dignities |
|---|
Common combinations
- human dignity
- The charter protects human dignity.
- with dignity
- She handled the loss with dignity.
- lose your dignity
- He feared he would lose his dignity in front of the crowd.
- maintain your dignity
- She managed to maintain her dignity during the interview.
- die with dignity
- Many people hope to die with dignity.
- beneath your dignity
- He thought washing dishes was beneath his dignity.
Synonyms and how they differ
- self-respect
- Self-respect is how you value yourself, while dignity is also how others see your calm bearing.
- honor
- Honor stresses a good reputation or moral integrity, whereas dignity stresses composure and worth.
- poise
- Poise is calm self-control in social situations and is less serious than dignity.
- decorum
- Decorum is about proper behavior following social rules, not the inner sense of worth.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: dignity or dignitary? dignity or indignant?
dignity vs dignitary
A dignitary is an important official or guest; dignity is the quality of being worthy of respect.
dignity vs indignant
Indignant means angry because of unfair treatment, which is different from dignified.
Practice
Even though she was disappointed, she accepted the result with ____ and thanked the judges.
Choose one answer.
With dignity means in a calm and respectful way. Dignitary is a person, and indignation means angry resentment, which does not fit thanking the judges.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dignity”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.