Pious
/ˈpaɪ.əs/noun
Devoutly religious or showing sincere reverence and duty.
Did you know?In Latin, pietas was less about private spirituality and more about binding duty to gods, family, and country—a moral force so powerful it shaped Roman ideals of virtue.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peh₂-
“to protect, tend, or care for”
Latin
Latin
pius
“dutiful, devoted, reverent; loyal to gods, parents, and country”
Late Latin
Latin
pietās
“dutifulness, piety, sense of religious and moral obligation”
Old French
Old French
pieu
“pious, devout”
Middle English
English
pious
“devout, religiously reverent”
Modern English
English
pious
“devoutly religious or showing sincere reverence and duty”