chastity
UK[ˈtʃæstəti]US[ˈtʃæstəti]
n
the state of not having sex with anyone, or only having sex with the person you are married to, especially because of your religious beliefs
n
the quality of being morally pure in thought or behaviour
Morpheme Breakdown
chast
ity
chast
pure
ity
state or quality
Etymology
the word chastity originates from the latin castitas, which itself derives from the adjective castus, meaning pure, chaste, or ritually clean. this latin root is thought to be connected to the proto-indo-european base kes-, meaning to cut or separate, suggesting a concept of being cut off from impurity or set apart. the suffix -ity, from latin -itas, is a common formative for abstract nouns denoting a state or quality. thus, the literal morphemic construction "pure state" evolved to signify the modern abstract concepts of sexual abstinence and moral purity.
Analysis
Structure: chast (pure) + ity (state or quality)
chast (from latin castus, meaning pure, chaste, morally clean); ity (from latin -itas, a suffix forming abstract nouns indicating a state or condition)
Examples
she took a vow of chastity when she entered the convent.
the knight's code emphasized virtues like bravery, honesty, and chastity.
the poem is a meditation on the themes of love, beauty, and lost chastity.