highness

See also: Highness

English

Alternative forms

• highnesse (archaic)
• 'ighness (pronunciation spelling)

Etymology

From Middle English hyghnesse; equivalent to high +‎ -ness.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhaɪnəs/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪnəs

Noun

highness (usually uncountable, plural highnesses)

1. The state of being high.
   • 1672, George Swinnock, The Incomparableness of God:

     'It is as high as heaven, what canst thou do?' It is as the highnesses of heaven: take all the heights and elevations, all the spheres and altitudes of heaven, and try if thou canst reach them with thy short arm; yea, climb up the highest storeys, the loftiest pinnacles, […]

2. A title of respect when referring to a prince or princess.

Derived terms

• Her Serene Highness
• His Serene Highness

Translations

state of being high

Finnish: korkeus (fi); ylhäisyys (fi) (address) French: altesse (fr) f (address) Latin: celsitudo f Swedish: höghet (sv) c

title for royalty

Catalan: altesa m Esperanto: moŝto (eo)