What does exaltedness mean?
Exaltedness is a formal noun denoting the state or quality of being exalted — that is, raised to a high rank, position, or degree of dignity, or lifted into a mood of intense joy and elation. It can describe both external elevation, such as someone's lofty social standing, and an internal experience of rapture or spiritual uplift, as when great architecture, music, or news fills a person with a feeling of exaltedness. The word is built from the verb 'exalt', which traces back to Latin 'exaltare', meaning 'to raise high', combined with the noun-forming suffix '-ness'. It is relatively rare and literary, appearing most often in elevated or religious prose, and it competes with the more common 'exaltation', which covers both the act of raising and the resulting state. Writers reach for it when they want to emphasize the enduring state of being lifted above the ordinary.
nounThe state or quality of being exalted; a condition of elevated rank, dignity, or intense joy and elation.
- A state of elevated rank, dignity, or status.
- A state of intense happiness, elation, or spiritual uplift.
"He spoke of his promotion not with pride but with a quiet sense of exaltedness."
"The cathedral's soaring vaults filled visitors with a sense of exaltedness."
"In her memoir she recalls the exaltedness she felt on the night her candidacy was announced."
Almost always used as an uncountable mass noun in modern English; a plural form exists grammatically but is virtually never encountered.
"The diaries record the varied exaltednesses of his early fame."
Exaltedness takes a three-thousand-year-old Latin idea — 'to lift high' — and turns it into an abstract noun for that feeling of being raised above ordinary life.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of exaltedness
Exaltedness derives from the verb 'exalt', which entered English from Old French 'exalter' in the late Middle English period, ultimately from Latin 'exaltare' meaning 'to raise on high' (from 'ex-' meaning 'out, up' plus 'altus' meaning 'high'). The suffix '-ness' was added to the past participle 'exalted' to form this abstract noun denoting a state or quality. Cognate formations from the same Latin root include 'exaltation' and, more distantly, words like 'altitude' and 'altar', all rooted in the notion of height.
Related word forms
How exaltedness is actually used
Formal and literary in register; rare compared with its synonym 'exaltation'. It carries a positive or reverent connotation and is most often found in elevated prose, religious writing, and descriptions of emotional or spiritual states.
Easily confused with exaltedness
Exaltation refers to the act or process of raising someone or something up (or the resulting state), while exaltedness refers strictly to the state or quality of being exalted.