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dignity meaning and examples

2025-09-02

Meaning

Dignity is a noun that refers to the state or quality of being worthy of honor, respect, or esteem. It also describes a sense of self-respect, pride, and seriousness in behavior or appearance.

Grammar and Usage

  • Part of speech: Noun
  • Uncountable in most cases.
  • Commonly used with verbs like maintain, preserve, lose, restore, show.
  • Often used in formal or serious contexts, but also in everyday situations about respect.

Sentence Structures

  • maintain/keep one’s dignity
  • treat someone with dignity
  • lose one’s dignity
  • a sense of dignity

Common Phrases

  • human dignity – the intrinsic worth of all people.
  • loss of dignity – losing respect or self-worth.
  • with dignity – in a calm and respectful manner.
  • the dignity of office – the respect associated with an official position.

Collocations

  • verbs + dignity: maintain dignity, preserve dignity, lose dignity, protect dignity, restore dignity.
  • adjectives + dignity: human dignity, personal dignity, quiet dignity, moral dignity.
  • prepositions + dignity: with dignity, in dignity.

Examples

  1. She faced the criticism with quiet dignity.
  2. Every human being deserves to be treated with dignity.
  3. He lost his dignity when he lied in court.
  4. The president carried the dignity of his office.
  5. They struggled to maintain their dignity in difficult times.
  6. He walked away with dignity, refusing to argue further.
  7. The organization is committed to protecting the dignity of its members.
  8. Despite the defeat, the team left the field with dignity.
  • Synonyms: honor, respect, nobility, pride, self-respect.
  • Related: integrity, grace, decency.