meekness
/ˈmiːknəs/
noun
Origin
Old English
mēoc — malleable, pliable, soft
Overview
Meaning Now
- The quality or state of being meek; humble, gentle, and not arrogant or easily provoked.
- Gentle submission to authority; forbearance and patience in the face of offense.
Language path
Old English → Middle English → English
Earliest form
mekenesse
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The meaning shifted from physical pliability to a moral virtue, largely through Christian scripture (the Beatitudes: 'Blessed are the meek...'). In Middle English, 'meek' could also mean 'sickly' or 'weak,' preserving the older physical sense that was later lost from the abstract noun.
Evolution
- Old English (c. 8th–11th century)
mēoc
“malleable, pliable, soft”
Original root adjective; physical sense of being bendable.
- Old English (c. 10th century)
meknes
“malleability, pliancy”
Early abstract noun; attested in late Anglo-Saxon glosses.
- Middle English (c. 1350)
mekenesse
“gentleness, humility, submissiveness”
Spelling regularized; moral and religious sense becomes dominant.
- Modern English (c. 1600–present)
meekness
“humble patience and forbearance, especially toward authority”
Biblical translation solidifies the virtue meaning; distinction from 'weakness' clarified.
Connections
Word parts
meek
root
gentle, submissive, malleable
-ness
suffix
state or quality of
Related words
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.