Grace

How to spell grace

5 letters · 1 syllable

How to pronounce grace

What does grace mean?

1. nounSmooth, elegant ease of movement, manner, or form.
2. nounKindness, mercy, or favour shown to someone, often without their having earned it.
3. verbTo bring honour or charm to something by one's presence or by adorning it.

Grace in a sentence

• noun

  The dancer crossed the stage with effortless grace.

• noun

  The bank gave us a few days of grace before the payment was due.

• verb

  A famous chef will grace the opening of the new restaurant.

• noun

  She handled the criticism with calm and quiet grace.

• noun

  By the grace of a generous landlord, the family kept their home.

• verb

  Fresh flowers grace the table at every meeting.

Where does grace come from?

Language of origin: Latin

The word comes from the Latin gratia, meaning 'favour', 'kindness', or 'pleasingness', which itself grew from gratus, meaning 'pleasing' or 'thankful'. English took it through Old French grace during the 1100s, where it carried senses of divine favour, charm, and gratitude all at once. The religious meaning, God's freely given mercy, dominated medieval usage, while the sense of physical elegance and smooth movement developed alongside it. The same Latin root still lives inside everyday words such as 'grateful', 'gratitude', and 'gratis', all sharing the idea of something pleasing or freely given. The short vowel sound of the 'a' and the silent final 'e' make the spelling straightforward for adults, though the soft 'c' is worth noting.

How the word is built

• grac- (from Latin gratia: favour, pleasingness)
• -e (silent terminal e)