Piety
mediumPositive tonePIE-uh-tee
noun
Definition
devout religious devotion or dutiful respect
Memory hook
PIETY: think of a devout person eating PIE-T at church every Sunday without fail; their dutiful religious habit never breaks.
Word roots
pius— dutiful, devout(Latin)
Learning roots unlocks whole word families. Study common GRE root words.
Examples
“Her piety was evident in the hours she spent in quiet prayer each morning.”
“The monastery was renowned for the austere piety of its monks.”
Test yourself
Fill in the blank with the right word:
“Her ______ was evident in the hours she spent in quiet prayer each morning.”
Show answer
piety
Synonyms
Antonyms
impietyirreverenceungodlinessblasphemy
Categories
GRE Tip
Piety is a medium-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "devoutness" or "devotion" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "impiety".
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