pious: Meaning and Definition of

pi•ous

Pronunciation: (pī'us), [key]
— adj.
  1. having or showing a dutiful spirit of reverence for God or an earnest wish to fulfill religious obligations.
  2. characterized by a hypocritical concern with virtue or religious devotion; sanctimonious.
  3. practiced or used in the name of real or pretended religious motives, or for some ostensibly good object; falsely earnest or sincere: a pious deception.
  4. of or pertaining to religious devotion; sacred rather than secular: pious literature.
  5. having or showing appropriate respect or regard for parents or others.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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