chastity

[ chas-ti-tee ]

noun

1. the state or quality of being chaste.

chastity

/ ˈtʃæstɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state of being chaste; purity
2. abstention from sexual intercourse; virginity or celibacy

   a vow of chastity

Other Words From

• non·chasti·ty noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of chastity¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English chastite, variant of chastete, from Old French, from Latin castitāt-, stem of castitās; equivalent to chaste + -ity

Word History and Origins

Origin of chastity¹

C13: from Old French chasteté, from Latin castitās, from castus chaste

Example Sentences

He recognized that himself, keeping spreadsheets tracking his progress on mastering 13 virtues, such as chastity and humility.

From Time

As Saint Augustine said, “God, give me chastity, but not yet.”

From Freakonomics

Most of the main characters practice chastity or nobly resist temptation, in between flowery love declarations and wholesome flirting.

From Vox

Okay, but still, “Homosexual persons are called to chastity.”

From The Daily Beast

If women attend games he said, there could be no guarantees that hejab or chastity would be properly observed or respected.

From The Daily Beast

In other words, pledging chastity in the past is strongly associated with a virgin birth.

From The Daily Beast

They also claim that it inspired him to “embrac[e] Eastern religions that endorsed chastity.”

From The Daily Beast

From the modern chastity belt to a bag that disguises as a manhole, Soraya Roberts on the growing trend of protective fashion.

From The Daily Beast

Thus seen, socialism appeared as the very antithesis of law and order, of love and chastity, and of religion itself.

From Project Gutenberg

One day, then, she realized that she was to have a child, and all that remained to her of chastity leaped for joy.

From Project Gutenberg

They who, having wives, wish to make a vow of chastity, shall wait four months before they decide.

From Project Gutenberg

Or she holds a lily in her right hand, to indicate her virginity and chastity, and the sweet odor of her virtues.

From Project Gutenberg

St. Augustine says: "The fiercest of all combats is the one for the preservation of chastity, and we must engage in it every day."

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• abstinence
• decency
• monogamy
• virginity

About This Word

What does chastity mean?

Chastity most commonly refers to the quality or virtue of refraining from sexual activity that’s considered immoral, especially according to the teachings of a certain religion.

It sometimes means about the same thing as celibacy—refraining from all sexual activity. When members of certain religions take a vow of chastity, this is usually what it means.

Chastity is the quality of being chaste. The word chaste can be used to describe someone who refrains sexual activity considered immoral or any sexual activity. Chaste can also be used in a more general way to mean morally pure.

Example: When I went to Catholic high school, my religion teachers always emphasized the virtue of chastity.

Where does chastity come from?

The first records of the word chastity come from around 1200. It ultimately comes from the Latin castus, meaning “pure.” The word caste comes from the same root. The suffix -ity is used to form abstract nouns.

What’s considered morally pure heavily depends on cultural and religious norms, and the idea of chastity may differ from one religion to another or one person to another. In Christianity, the word chastity often refers to the avoidance of sexual activity outside of marriage or sexual activity without the goal of reproduction. Describing someone as unchaste is a moral judgment, and the person may take offense to this, especially if they don’t believe in the same set of morals. In many religions, the promotion of chastity has traditionally been directed more toward women, leading some people to criticize such lessons as sexist or oppressive.

Chastity appears in the phrase chastity belt, a type of device that typically covers the genitals and is designed to prevent sexual contact with the person wearing it.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to chastity?

• nonchastity (noun)
• chaste (adjective)

What are some synonyms for chastity?

• purity
• celibacy
• abstinence

What are some words that share a root or word element with chastity? 

• chastity belt
• unchaste
• caste

 

What are some words that often get used in discussing chastity?

• virtue
• sex
• virginity
• innocence
• vow
• belt
• marriage
• practice

How is chastity used in real life?

The word chastity is usually used in the context of religion, or in the criticism of religious teaching about such things.

@SBroadie Nuns do not have boyfriends. We take a vow of chastity- giving our whole selves to the Lord. Hope this helps clarify.

— Sr Margaret Michael (@srmmichael) November 26, 2014

What a loss for Westeros that as kingsguard Podrick has to take a vow of chastity

— Sally Tamarkin (@sallyt) May 21, 2019

Preaching that chastity = purity creates an environment that insinuates a woman's worth is based on her virginity.

— This Machine Kills Fascists (@RoyalHoeliness) April 15, 2014