solemnity

noun

sə-ˈlem-nə-tē How to pronounce solemnity (audio)
Definition of solemnitynext
1
as in intentness
a mental state free of jesting or trifling the coronation ceremony requires absolute solemnity

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ritual
an oft-repeated action or series of actions performed in accordance with tradition or a set of rules the solemnities of the Easter vigil service

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of solemnity Gore is best known for Make America Great Again, her 2016 naked portrait of Trump with the paunch and solemnity of the great men of art history, adding, crucially, the tiniest of compensatory micropenises. — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 14 June 2026 As his own self-celebration has fizzled, a void has opened between the scheduled roster of events and the true purpose and meaning of the solemnity of July 4, 2026. — David Frum, The Atlantic, 31 May 2026 All the secrecy and almost solemnity added to the anticipation of a launch that was five years in the making. — Charlotte Reed, CNBC, 29 May 2026 Memorial Day approaches each year with a solemnity unlike any other American observance. — Letters To The Editor, Hartford Courant, 24 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for solemnity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for solemnity
  1. gravity
  2. ritual
  3. earnestness
  4. ceremony
  5. seriousness
  6. observance
Noun
  • Waugh was a magnificent writer, and his prose has a rare gravity and balance.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 5 Oct. 2026
  • There is no wind on the moon but, with less gravity, debris can travel far after an explosion.
    — Selam Gebrekidan, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of gravity
Noun
  • As the investigation uncovers a string of killings linked to a strange ritual, the two are pushed into working together, facing down otherworldly threats as well as unfinished business from Lan’s past.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
  • As for us, we are engaged in the usual ritual of brewing a cuppa stimulation — our choice today is English breakfast — and foraging for items of interest.
    — Ed Silverman, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of ritual
Noun
  • Elizabeth Strout illustrates a kind man with an endearing earnestness about him who struggles with the fact that the world is not so simple anymore.
    — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The diaries—particularly in Julian Sachs’s unexpurgated version, which captures Pavese’s alternating earnestness, archness, and pungent vulgarity—pose something of a problem.
    — Max Norman, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of earnestness
Noun
  • The ceremony also caps a year in which ARIA marked its 40th anniversary with a standalone Hall of Fame event in June, inducting Gurrumul, Jenny Morris, Kate Ceberano, Spiderbait, The Living End, and Vika & Linda.
    — Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 6 Oct. 2026
  • An unusual treat is the co-ed soaking pool, overlooking Lake Mishkin, which allows families to plunge and relax together before or after their treatments, which run the gamut from massage to sound bath to tea ceremonies.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of ceremony
Noun
  • Petersen also was struck by the seriousness of today’s youth.
    — Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
  • By early 2023, in response to these trends, NATO stepped up the seriousness and urgency of its discussions on Russian hybrid activity.
    — Julianne Smith, Foreign Affairs, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of seriousness
Noun
  • Courts are closed In observance of California Native American Day, which is celebrated every year on the fourth Friday of September.
    — Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Groups of implicatures Grice identified three broad groups of implicatures generated through the observance, violation, or flouting of maxims in keeping with the cooperative principle.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of observance

Browse Nearby Words

solemnities
solemnity
solemnize
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Cite this Entry

“Solemnity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/solemnity. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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