Added 9 October 2026
holy
/ˈhəʊli/ adjective
In Latin: sacer Wiktionary
adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about holy at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
interjection
- An expression of astonishment and awe.
noun
- A thing that is extremely holy; used almost exclusively in Holy of Holies.
Origin
From Middle English ali, aly, hale, halege, hali, halȝe, hayly, holi, holia, holie, holiȝ, holy, hooly, oli, oly, wholy, woly, from Old English hāleġ, hāliġ (“holy, sacred; healthy, sound”), from Proto-West Germanic *hailag, from Proto-Germanic *hailagaz (“holy, sacred”), from Proto-Germanic *hailaz (“healthy; whole”), from Proto-Indo-European *kéh₂ilos (“intact, whole; complete; hale, healthy, sound”), equivalent to whole + -y and a doublet of later wholly.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)