Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Humility \Hu*mil"i*ty\, n.; pl. {Humilities}. [OE. humilite, OF.
humilit['e], humelit['e], F. humilit['e], fr. L. humiliatis.
See {Humble}.]
1. 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.
2. An act of submission or courtesy.
With these humilities they satisfied the young king.
--Sir J.
Davies.
Syn: Lowliness; humbleness; meekness; modesty; diffidence.
Usage: {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.
Source : WordNet®
humility
n 1: a disposition to be humble; a lack of false pride; "not
everyone regards humility as a virtue" [syn: {humbleness}]
[ant: {pride}]
2: a humble feeling; "he was filled with humility at the sight
of the Pope" [syn: {humbleness}] [ant: {pride}]