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pi·e·ty

(pīĭ-tē)

n. pl. pi·e·ties

1. The state or quality of being pious, especially:

a. Religious devotion and reverence.

b. Devotion and reverence to parents and family: filial piety.

2. A devout act, thought, or statement.

a. A position held conventionally or hypocritically.

b. A statement of such a position: "the liberated pieties of people who believe that social attitudes have kept pace with women's aspirations" (Erica Abeel).

[Middle English piete, mercy, pity, from Old French, from Latin pietās, dutiful conduct, from pius, dutiful.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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