King James Bible Dictionary

SOLEMN, adjective sol'em. [Latin solennis, form soleo, to be accustomed, to use, that is, to hold on or continue, as we have wont.]

1. Anniversary; observed once a year with religious ceremonies. The worship of this image was advanced and a solemn supplication observed every year. [I doubt the correctness of this definition of Johnson; or whether solemn in out language, ever includes the sense of anniversary. In the passage cited, the sense of anniversary is expressed by every year, and if it is included in solemn also the sentence is tautological. I should say the, that solemn in this passage of Stillingfleet, has the sense given in the second definition below.]

2. Religiously grave; marked with pomp and sanctity; attended with religious rites. His holy rites and solemn feasts profan'd.

3. Religiosly serious; piously grave; devout; marked by reverence to God; as solemn prayer; the solemn duties of the sanctuary.

4. Affectiong with seriousness; impressing or adapted to impress seriousness, gravity or reverence; sober; serious. There reign'd a solemn silence over all. To 'swage with solemn touches troubled thoughts.

5. Grave; serious; or affectedly grave; as a solemn face.

6. Sacred; enjoined by religion; or attended with a serious appeal to God; as a solemn oath.

7. Marked with solemaities; as a solemn day.

(Isaiah 1:13), the convocation on the eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:36; Numbers 29:35, R.V., "solemn assembly;" marg., "closing festival"). It is the name given also to the convocation held on the seventh day of the Passover (Deuteronomy 16:8).

SOL'EMNESS, noun

1. The state or quality of being solemn; reverential manner; gravity; as the solemness of public worship.

2. Solemnity; gravity of manner.

SOLEM'NITY, noun

1. A rite or ceremony annualy performed with religious reverence. Great was the cause; our old solemnities from no blind zeal or fond tradition rise, but sav'd from death, our Arguves yearly pay these grateful honors to the god of day.

[Solemnities seems here to include the sense of anniversary. See the fourth line. But in modern usage, that sense is rarely or never attached to the word.]

2. A religious ceremony; a ritual performance attended with religious reverence; as the solemnity of a funral or of a sacrament.

3. A ceremony adapted to impress awe; as the solemnities of the last day.

4. Manner of acting awfully serious. With horrible solemnity he caused every thing to be prepared for his triumph of victory.

5. Gravity; steady seriouness; as the solemnity of the Spanish language.

6. Affected gravity. Solemnity's a cover for a sot.

SOLEMNIZA'TION, noun The act of solemnizing; celebration; as the solemnization of a marriage.

SOL'EMNIZE, verb transitive

1. To dignify or honor by ceremonies; to celebrate; as, to solemnize the birth of Christ. Their choice nobility and flow'r met from all parts to solemnize this feast.

2. To perform with ritual ceremonies and respect, or according to legal forms; as, to solemnize a marriage.

3. To peform religiouly once a year.

4. To make grave, serious and reverential; as, to solemnize the mind for the duties of the sanctuary. [This use of the word is well authorized in the United States.]

SOL'EMNLY, adverb With gravity and religious reverence. Let us solemnly address the throne of grace.

2. With official formalities and be due authority. This question of law has been solemnly decided in the highest court.

3. With formal state.

4. With formal gravity and stateliness, or with affected gravity. There in deaf murmurs solemnly are wise.

5. With religious seriousness; as, I solemnly declare myselft innocent. I do solemnly assure the reader.