Piety

Lat. pietas, properly honour and respect toward parents (1 Tim. 5:4). In Acts 17:23 the Greek verb is rendered “ye worship,” as applicable to God.

This word occurs but once in the Authorized Version: “Let them learn first to show piety at home,” better “toward their own household” or family. (1 Timothy 5:4) The choice of this word here instead of the more usual equivalents -of “godliness,” “reverence,” and the like, was probably determined by the special sense of pietas, as “erga parentes,” i.e. toward parents.

PI'ETY occurs only once in our version, 1 Tim 6:4, where it denotes the reverence which children owe their parents.

Part of speech: noun (n.)

1. Veneration or reverence of the Supreme Being, and love of his character; loving obedience to the will of God, and earnest devotion to his service. Piety is the only proper and adequate relief of decaying man. Rambler.

2. Duty; dutifulness; filial reverence and devotion; affectionate reverence and service shown toward parents, relatives, benefactors, country, etc. Conferred upon me for the piety Which to my country I was judged to have shown. Milton.

Synonyms: Religion; sanctity; devotion; godliness; holiness. See Religion.