Meanings
highness1
plural highnesses · alternative archaic highnesse · alternative pronunciation spelling 'ighness
- uncountableusuallyThe state of being high.
'It is as high as heaven, what canst thou do?' It is as the highnesses of heaven: take all the heights and elevations, all the spheres and altitudes of heaven, and try if thou canst reach them with thy short arm; yea, climb up the highest storeys, the loftiest pinnacles, […]
1672, George Swinnock, The Incomparableness of God
Highness2
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe style of an emperor or king.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
highness · noun
- Middle Englishhyghnesse
- Englishhighness
From Middle English hyghnesse; equivalent to high + -ness.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Highness · noun
- Late Latinaltitia
- Italianaltezza
- EnglishHighness
Calque of Italian altezza, from Late Latin altitia, from altus + -itia, equivalent to high + -ness. See highness for formation of the English term.
More words from Italian, Late Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic سُمُوّ, سُمُوَّة
- سُمُوّ (sumuww)form of address
- سُمُوَّة (sumuwwa)form of address
Bulgarian висо́чество
- висо́чество (visóčestvo)form of address
Catalan altesa, altesa
- altesatitle for royalty
- altesaform of address
Chinese Mandarin 殿下, 閣下 /阁下
- 殿下 (diànxià)form of address
- 閣下 /阁下 (géxià)form of address
Czech výsost
- výsostform of address
Danish højhed
- højhedform of address
Dutch hoogheid
- hoogheidform of address
Esperanto moŝto, moŝto
- moŝtotitle for royalty
- moŝtoform of address
- altecoform of address
Finnish korkeus, ylhäisyys
- korkeusstate of being high
- ylhäisyysstate of being high
- ylhäisyysform of address
French altesse, altesse
- altessestate of being high
- altesseform of address
German Hoheit
- Hoheitform of address
Greek Υψηλότατος, Υψηλοτάτη
- Υψηλότατος (Ypsilótatos)form of address
- Υψηλοτάτη (Ypsilotáti)form of address
Italian altezza
- altezzaform of address
Japanese 殿下
- 殿下 (denka)form of address
Korean 전하
- 전하 (jeonha)form of address
Latin celsitudo
- celsitudostate of being high
Latvian augstība
- augstībaform of address
Norwegian Bokmål høyhet
- høyhetform of address
Polish wysokość
- wysokośćform of address
Portuguese alteza
- altezaform of address
Romanian alteță
- altețăform of address
Russian высо́чество
- высо́чество (vysóčestvo)form of address
Slovak výsosť
- výsosťform of address
Spanish alteza
- altezaform of address
Swedish höghet
- höghetstate of being high
Ukrainian висо́кість
- висо́кість (vysókistʹ)form of address
Welsh Uchelder
- Uchelderform of address
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with highness
Cite this entry
highness. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/highness
“highness.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/highness. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “highness,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/highness.
Source: highness on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.