CHASTITY

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does chastity mean? 

• CHASTITY (noun)
  The noun CHASTITY has 2 senses:

1. abstaining from sexual relations (as because of religious vows)

2. morality with respect to sexual relations

  Familiarity information: CHASTITY used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CHASTITY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Abstaining from sexual relations (as because of religious vows)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

celibacy; chastity; sexual abstention

Hypernyms ("chastity" is a kind of...):

abstinence (act or practice of refraining from indulging an appetite)

Domain category:

faith; religion; religious belief (a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny)

Derivation:

chaste (abstaining from unlawful sexual intercourse)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Morality with respect to sexual relations

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

chastity; sexual morality; virtue

Hypernyms ("chastity" is a kind of...):

morality (concern with the distinction between good and evil or right and wrong; right or good conduct)

Attribute:

chaste (morally pure (especially not having experienced sexual intercourse))

unchaste (not chaste)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "chastity"):

honor; honour; pureness; purity (a woman's virtue or chastity)

Derivation:

chaste (morally pure (especially not having experienced sexual intercourse))

 Context examples 

But have sworn no vow of constancy or chastity?

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

But constancy, chastity, good sense, and good nature, were not rated, because they would not bear the charge of collecting.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

Her penetrative virginity exalted and disguised his own emotions, elevating his thoughts to a star-cool chastity, and he would have been startled to learn that there was that shining out of his eyes, like warm waves, that flowed through her and kindled a kindred warmth.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

But, instead of proposals for conquering that magnanimous nation, I rather wish they were in a capacity, or disposition, to send a sufficient number of their inhabitants for civilizing Europe, by teaching us the first principles of honour, justice, truth, temperance, public spirit, fortitude, chastity, friendship, benevolence, and fidelity.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

For having strictly examined all the persons of greatest name in the courts of princes, for a hundred years past, I found how the world had been misled by prostitute writers, to ascribe the greatest exploits in war, to cowards; the wisest counsel, to fools; sincerity, to flatterers; Roman virtue, to betrayers of their country; piety, to atheists; chastity, to sodomites; truth, to informers: how many innocent and excellent persons had been condemned to death or banishment by the practising of great ministers upon the corruption of judges, and the malice of factions: how many villains had been exalted to the highest places of trust, power, dignity, and profit: how great a share in the motions and events of courts, councils, and senates might be challenged by bawds, whores, pimps, parasites, and buffoons.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)