SOLEMNITY Synonyms: 74 Similar and Opposite Words

solemnity

noun

sə-ˈlem-nə-tē

Definition of solemnity

as in intentness

a mental state free of jesting or trifling the coronation ceremony requires absolute solemnity

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Noun

No bigger than a microwave oven, Idefix will plop onto Phobos by itself, bouncing for several minutes before coming to a halt in the moon's extraordinarily low gravity.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
At the time, Rastinejad and her colleagues wondered whether a black hole’s gravity had ripped up a companion neutron star, as if unseen godly hands had pulled it apart like dough.

— Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of gravity

Noun

Other amenities include a Wellbeing by Auberge program, complete with thermal rituals, skin therapies, and more luxe treatments rooted in a holistic approach to health and longevity.

— Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 15 Oct. 2026
Estes said the aqueduct's water was used for both practical and religious purposes, including cleaning up after sacrifices and performing purification rituals at the Temple Mount.

— Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of ritual

Noun

Karen is newly sober, newly released, and seemingly determined to approach this chapter of her life with an earnestness that the rest of the cast may not be emotionally equipped to accommodate.

— Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
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

Definition of earnestness

Noun

An Air Force service member died Saturday after a rappelling accident during a pregame ceremony at the Alamodome ahead of the University of Texas at San Antonio's football game against Navy.

— Brittney Melton, NPR, 19 Oct. 2026
Billy Jones Way was unveiled during a ceremony on Sunday, on the corner of Bedford Avenue and Broadway in Brooklyn, just down the street from Baby’s.

— Alex Suskind, Pitchfork, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of ceremony

Noun

On White Cane Awareness Day, an annual observance celebrating the achievements and independence of visually impaired individuals, Darnes and more than 50 other veterans received a free pair of Meta smart glasses.

— La'Tasha Givens, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Dedicated to empowering Black Philadelphians Philadelphia Martyrs Day is an annual observance that pays homage to the five Philadelphia men who fought for Black suffrage and were killed in the 1871 election.

— Timothy Welbeck, The Conversation, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of observance

Browse Nearby Words

solemnities

solemnity

solemnize

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Solemnity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/solemnity. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of solemnity

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

jilt

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes