Meanings
holy of holies1
plural holies of holies
- Alternative letter-case form of Holy of Holies.
Holy of Holies2
alternative holy of holies
- The inner sanctum of the Temple in Jerusalem.
The holy of holies, a cubical space of ten cubits on the side, was separated from the larger antechamber by four columns, which were also covered with gold and stood upon silver sockets; they bore a second curtain of four colors.
1882, . Franz von Reber, Joseph Thacher Clarke, History of Ancient Art, page 146
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe most sacred place within a sacred building.
More synonyms by meaning
noun(Judaism) sanctuary comprised of the innermost chamber of the Tabernacle in the temple of Solomon where the Ark of the Covenant was kept
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Biblical Hebrewקודש הקודשים \ קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים
- EnglishHoly of Holies
Calque of Biblical Hebrew קודש הקודשים \ קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים (kódesh hakodashím).
More words from Biblical Hebrew
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian светая светих
- светая светих (svetaja svetih)the most sacred place within a sacred building
Chinese Cantonese 至聖所 /至圣所
- 至聖所 /至圣所the most sacred place within a sacred building
Chinese Mandarin 至聖所 /至圣所
- 至聖所 /至圣所 (Zhìshèngsuǒ)the most sacred place within a sacred building
Dutch heilige der heiligen, allerheiligste
- heilige der heiligenthe most sacred place within a sacred building
- allerheiligstethe most sacred place within a sacred building
Finnish kaikkein pyhin
- kaikkein pyhinthe most sacred place within a sacred building
French saint des saints
- saint des saintsthe most sacred place within a sacred building
German Allerheiligstes, Allerheiligstes
- Allerheiligstesthe most sacred place within a sacred building
- Allerheiligstesinner sanctum
Greek άδυτο, ιερό
- άδυτο (ádyto)the most sacred place within a sacred building
- ιερό (ieró)the most sacred place within a sacred building
- τα άδυτα των αδύτων (ta ádyta ton adýton)inner sanctum
Hebrew קודש הקודשים \ קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים
- קודש הקודשים \ קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים (kódesh hakodashím)the most sacred place within a sacred building
Hindi परमपवित्र स्थान
- परमपवित्र स्थान (parmapvitra sthān)the most sacred place within a sacred building
Latin adytum, sānctum sānctōrum
- adytumthe most sacred place within a sacred building
- sānctum sānctōrumthe most sacred place within a sacred building
Polish Święte Świętych, Święte Świętych
- Święte Świętychthe most sacred place within a sacred building
- Święte Świętychinner sanctum
Portuguese ádito
- áditothe most sacred place within a sacred building
Romanian sfânta sfintelor
- sfânta sfintelorthe most sacred place within a sacred building
Russian свята́я святы́х
- свята́я святы́х (svjatája svjatýx)the most sacred place within a sacred building
Spanish sanctasanctórum
- sanctasanctórumthe most sacred place within a sacred building
Swedish allraheligaste, allra heligaste
- allraheligastethe most sacred place within a sacred building
- allra heligastethe most sacred place within a sacred building
Yiddish קדשי־קדשים
- קדשי־קדשים (kodshe-kedoshem)the most sacred place within a sacred building
Cite this entry
holy of holies. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/holy%20of%20holies
“holy of holies.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/holy%20of%20holies. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “holy of holies,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/holy%20of%20holies.
Source: holy of holies on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.