Dignities

/ˈdɪɡnɪtiz/ noun

Definition

Plural of dignity; the state of being worthy of respect, or high offices and ranks of honor.

Etymology

From 'dignity' (from Latin 'dignitas'), plus the plural '-ies'. The word can mean both the abstract quality and the concrete offices/positions held by important people.

Kelly Says

In medieval texts, 'dignities' literally meant the high church offices themselves—Archbishop, Bishop, Canon—making rank and title inseparable from the virtue they supposedly represented!

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