Table of Contents
The word for today is…
pious (adjective) -
1 a: marked by or showing reverence for deity and devotion to divine worship
b: marked by conspicuous religiosity
2: sacred or devotional as distinct from the profane or secular : religious
3: showing loyal reverence for a person or thing : dutiful
4 a: marked by sham or hypocrisy
b: marked by self-conscious virtue : virtuous
5: deserving commendation : worthy
Source : Merriam-Webster
Etymology : Pious has a bit of an image problem. From the beginning of its use in the 15th century this Latin descendant has been used to describe those who are simply very religious—that is, who are deeply devoted to their religion—but it has for centuries also described those who make a show of their religiousness and use it to assert their superiority. Over the years other meanings have developed too. Pious can be used positively to describe those who are dutiful or virtuous, or things that are worthy. And it can be used negatively to describe hypocrisy. It is also used neutrally to distinguish what is religious from what is nonreligious in content. Because the word is about religion and religiousness, many associate pious with the Bible. It is, however, wholly absent from many translations of the Bible, probably because of its ambiguous meaning. Pious is, though, included in The New Revised Standard Version and the paraphrasing Living Bible, among a number of others. Piety, which most often refers to simple religious devotion, doesn't have the same problem, and is more widely used in biblical translations.
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