Meanings
plural meeknesses
- uncountableusuallyThe state or quality of being meek.
But thou, O man of God, flie these things; and follow after righteousnesse, godlinesse, faith, loue, patience, meekenesse.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Timothy 6:111 more example
Nor could Pym fail to notice that his old friend in rendering account of himself assumed the familiar meekness of the displaced person in the presence of his betters.
1986, John le Carré, A Perfect Spy
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishmekenesse
- Englishmeekness
From Middle English mekenesse, meknes, meocnesse; equivalent to meek + -ness.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
German Sanftmut
- Sanftmutthe state of being meek
Russian кротость
- кротость (krotostʹ)the state of being meek
Cite this entry
meekness. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/meekness
“meekness.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/meekness. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “meekness,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/meekness.
Source: meekness on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.