solemnity
(sɒˈlɛmnɪtɪ)
Forms: 3–4 solempnete, 4–5 -ite(e, -ytee, 4–6 -yte, 4–7 -itie (6 -ytye); 4 sollempnete, -ite, 5 -itee, -ytee; 4–5 solemnete, -ite(e, 5–6 -yte, 6–7 -itie, 6– solemnity.
[a. OF. solempneté, -ité (= Sp. solemnidad, Pg. solemnidade), ad. L. sōl-, sollem(p)nitas (postclassical), f. sōl-, sollem(p)nis solemn a.: see -ity. The ME. form solem(p)nete was app. sometimes stressed on the first syllable: cf. solemnty.]
1. Observance of ceremony or special formality on important occasions: a. In the phrases with or in (great, etc.) solemnity. Now rare.
| c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 169 Heo bureden þat holi bodi hasteliche þere biside With luyte solempnete i-novȝ. 13.. E.E.Allit. P. B. 1313 He sesed hem with solemnete, þe souerayn he praysed. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 352 With gret solempnete He was unto his dignete Received, and coroned king. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xxxiv. 153 Þai bere þe body to a hill with grete sollempnytee. 1470–85 Malory Arthur vii. xxxvi. 270 The Bisshop of Caunterbury made the weddyng..with grete solempnyte. a 1557 M. Basset tr. More's Treat. Passion M.'s Wks. 1398 My blessed Martyrs..shal..with woondrefull solempnitie enter into heauen. 1590 Shakes. Mids. N. iv. i. 182 Wee'll hold a feast in great solemnitie. 1611 Bible Transl. Pref. ¶2 For bringing backe the Arke of God in solemnitie. 1719 Young Revenge v. i, And then, with all the cool solemnity Of public justice, give her to the grave. 1759 Robertson Hist. Scotl. Wks. 1813 I. 366 The conference, however, was opened with much solemnity. 1875 Times 9 May, The Emperor..was received with all the solemnity that befits so great a Potentate. |
b. In general use.
| c 1340 Hampole Psalter cxvii. 26 Makis solempnyte in ȝoure saule. c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. II. 124 Þe Jewis calengiden..to have a man ȝovun to hem, for solempnite of þe feeste. c 1400 Love Bonavent. Mirr. (1908) 50 The solempnite and the worthynesse of this feste and this hiȝe day. c 1420 Brut ccxli. 349 Þe King..welcomed hir.., and made þere alle þe solempnite þat myȝt be do. 1502 Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W. 1506) i. ii, Them that be ordeyned of god & of holy churche as well in case of necessyte as of solempnyte. 1553 Eden Treat. New. Ind. (Arb.) 14 The king hereof vseth great pride & solemnitie. 1613 Purchas Pilgr. (1614) 192 If a female child be borne, there is small solemnitie. 1653 More Antid. Ath. ii. iii. §5 Instead of all this Glory and Solemnity there had been nothing but howlings and shoutings. 1759 Robertson Hist. Scotl. vii. Wks. 1813 I. 511 Elizabeth resolved that no circumstance of pomp or solemnity should be wanting. 1821 Shelley Ginevra 161 The marriage feast and its solemnity Was turned to funeral pomp. |
2. An occasion of ceremony; an observance or celebration of special importance; a festival or other similar occasion.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 13874 Iesus went him forth.., Til it come a solempnite, He com a-gain in þat cite. 1390 Gower Conf. III. 166 So myhte every man aboute The day of that solempnete His tale telle. c 1400 Brut Prol. 1 Dioclician þoughte maryen his Doughtres among all þo knyghtys þat tho were at that solempnite. c 1425 Found. St. Bartholomew's (E.E.T.S.) 47 This childe..was browght to the forsaid chirche yn the solempnyte of the glorious Apostle. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon lxii. 217 Then they went all with the pope to his palays, and there was made the solempnytes of y⊇ maryage. 1570–6 Lambarde Peramb. Kent (1826) 259 King Edwarde the Seconde..held the solemnitie of a whole Christmasse in the house of this Manor. 1617 Moryson Itin. iii. 219 Among other solemnities, they roasted an Oxe in the middest of the field for the people. 1673 Temple Ess. Irel. Wks. 1720 I. 119 Many..may come, not only as to a publick kind of Solemnity, but as to a great Mart of the best Horses. 1710 Prideaux Orig. Tithes ii. 113 Such a multitude of People were fed..during their continuance together at those Solemnities. 1763 J. Brown Poet. & Music §4. 41 Hymns or Odes would be composed, and Sung by their Composers at their festal Solemnities. 1834 K. H. Digby Mores Cath. v. vii. 218 Assisting on Easter day at the divine office of this great solemnity. 1867 Freeman Norm. Conq. (1877) I. 426 The king engaged in a remarkable solemnity on the spot which had witnessed his last battle. |
† b. A ceremonial procession. Obs.
| 1636 Strode Floating Isl. ii. iv, Enter in the midst of the song Amorous ushering the solemnity. 1707 Lond. Gaz. No. 4374/1 When the Solemnity came near St. Mark's-Place, the Norton Galley hoisted the Union Colours. 1731 Gentl. Mag. I. 441 A Representation of the Solemnity and Procession of the Lord Mayor of London thro' the City. |
† 3. Applied concretely (see quots.). Obs.
| c 1435 Torr. Portugal 1591 My two dragons hast thou slan, My solempnite they were. 1449 Churchw. Acc. St. George's, Stamford in Nicholls (1797) 133, I bequethe to the seyd Chirch of Seynt George a solempnitie of array for the fest of Corpus Christi. |
4. † a. Proper or regular performance. Obs.—1
| c 1440 Pallad. on Husb. iv. 2 At Marches mone, in contrey that is colde, Putacioun hath his solempnite [L. celebratur]. |
b. Law. Necessary formality, such as is requisite to make an act or document valid.
| 1588 in T. Morris Provosts of Methven (1875) 72 The solempnitie of the law..[being] obseruit. 1590 Swinburne Testaments 6 The testament is imperfect in respect of solemnitie, wherein some of the Legall requisites..be wanting. 1665 Caldwell P. (Maitl. Cl.) I. 63 Not being sealled be the seall of the partie, quilk was ane essentiall solemnitie of contracts. 1669 Chamberlayne Pres. St. Eng. 158 If she be Plaintiff, the Summons in the Process need not have the solemnity of 15 dayes. 1871 W. Markby Elem. Law §171 The contract..should be accompanied by certain solemnities as they are called. 1875 K. E. Digby Real Prop. x. §1 (1876) 374 No solemnity short of a deed is regarded by our law as sufficient to create a right of this kind. |
5. The state or character of being solemn or serious; impressiveness; gravity; a solemn utterance or statement.
| 1712 Addison Spectator No. 405 ¶3 That Solemnity of Phrase, which may be drawn from the Sacred Writings. 1741 C. Middleton Cicero I. i. 2 A writer, who loves to raise the solemnity of his story by the introduction of something miraculous. 1794 Mrs. Radcliffe Myst. Udolpho xxvii, The solemnity of this silence..subdued her spirits. 1822–7 Good Study Med. (1829) II. 486 At present, from a knowledge of the circulation of the blood, we can smile at these nugatory solemnities. 1883 Froude Short Stud. IV. ii. i. 164 Subjects which in our fathers' time were approached only with the deepest reverence and solemnity. |