grace

English Online Dictionary. What means grace‎? What does grace mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle English grace, from Old French grace (modern French grâce), from Latin grātia (“kindness, favour, esteem”), from grātus (“pleasing”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʷerH- (“to praise, welcome”); compare grateful.

The word displaced the native Middle English held, hield (“grace”) (from Old English held, hyld (“grace”)), Middle English este (“grace, favour, pleasure”) (from Old English ēst (“grace, kindness, favour”)), Middle English athmede(n) (“grace”) (from Old English ēadmēdu (“grace”)), Middle English are, ore (“grace, mercy, honour”) (from Old English ār (“honour, grace, kindness, mercy”)).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /ɡɹeɪs/
• Rhymes: -eɪs

Noun

grace (countable and uncountable, plural graces)

1. (countable, uncountable) Charming, pleasing qualities.
2. (countable) A short prayer of thanks before or after a meal.

3. (countable, card games) In the games of patience or solitaire: a special move that is normally against the rules.
4. (countable, music) A grace note.
6. (uncountable) Elegant movement; elegance of movement; balance or poise.

   Synonym: gracefulness

   Hyponym: dexterousness

7. (uncountable, finance) An allowance of time granted to a debtor during which he or she is free of at least part of his normal obligations towards the creditor.
9. (uncountable, theology) Free and undeserved favour, especially of God; unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration or sanctification, or for resisting sin.
10. An act or decree of the governing body of an English university.

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Verb

grace (third-person singular simple present graces, present participle gracing, simple past and past participle graced)

1. (transitive) To adorn; to decorate; to embellish and dignify.
2. (transitive) To dignify or raise by an act of favour; to honour.
3. (transitive) To supply with heavenly grace.
4. (transitive, music) To add grace notes, cadenzas, etc., to.

Synonyms

• mense

Translations

Further reading

• grace on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• garce, cager

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old French grace, from Latin grātia.

Alternative forms

• graz, crace, gras, grase

Pronunciation

• (Early Middle English) IPA^(key): /ˈɡraːtsə/
• IPA^(key): /ˈɡraːs(ə)/

Noun

grace (plural graces or grace)

1. various (Christian) theological meanings, usually as an attribute of God:
   1. the grace of God; divine aid or beneficence.
   2. a gift or sign of God; a demonstration of divine power.
   3. guidance, direction (especially divine)
2. luck, destiny (especially positive or beneficial)
3. niceness, esteem, positive demeanour
4. beneficence, goodwill, good intentions
5. gracefulness, elegance; aptness, competence.
6. a present; a helpful or kind act.
7. relief, relenting, forgiveness
8. a prayer of thanks, especially one preceding a meal.
9. (rare) repute, credit
10. (rare) misfortune, misadventure, doom
11. (rare, Late Middle English) unfairness, partisanship

Related terms

• graceful
• graceles
• gracen
• gracious

Descendants

• English: grace
• Scots: grace
• Yola: greash, graace
• → Welsh: gras
• → Cornish: gras

References

• “grāce, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-05-14.

Etymology 2

From Old English græs.

Noun

grace

1. Alternative form of gras

Old French

Alternative forms

• gratia (10th century)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin grātia.

Noun

grace oblique singular, f (oblique plural graces, nominative singular grace, nominative plural graces)

1. grace; favor
2. grace; gracefulness; elegance

Descendants

• French: grâce
• → Middle English: grace, graz, crace, gras, grase
  • English: grace
  • Scots: grace
  • Yola: greash, graace
  • → Welsh: gras
  • → Cornish: gras

References

• Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l’ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IX^e au XV^e siècle (1881) (grace, supplement)
• grace on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub

Swedish

Etymology

Borrowed from French grâce, from Latin gratia. Doublet of graciös and gratis.

Noun

grace c

1. (in the singular) grace (effortless beauty or charm)

   Synonym: elegans

2. (in the plural) grace (beneficial act)

3. (in the plural) Graces (goddesses in Ancient Greek mythology)

   Synonym: gratie

Declension

References

• grace in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• grace in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• grace in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)