Pious

How to spell pious

5 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce pious

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does pious mean?

1. adjectiveDeeply and sincerely religious, devoted to faith and worship.
2. adjectiveMaking an ostentatious or insincere show of being virtuous or moral.

Pious in a sentence

• Her pious grandmother attended the early service every morning.

• The manager offered a pious speech about teamwork while cutting everyone's hours.

• The monastery was home to a small group of pious scholars.

• Voters grew tired of his pious promises that never led to real action.

Where does pious come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word comes from the Latin pius, an adjective that meant 'dutiful' or 'devout', describing someone who faithfully honoured the gods, the state, and family obligations. The related Latin noun pietas (the source of our 'piety') captured that same sense of dutiful devotion. English took the word in during the fifteenth century, partly through French forms, and tacked on the familiar -ous ending that turns a root into an adjective meaning 'full of'. Over time the religious shading sharpened, so that 'pious' now usually means devoutly and sincerely religious, though it also carries a wry secondary use for people who merely make a show of holiness. The spelling trap lives in that quiet '-ious' cluster: the 'i' before the '-ous' is easy to drop or reorder when the word is written from memory.

How the word is built

• pi- (from Latin pius: dutiful, devout)
• -ous (adjective suffix meaning full of)