grace

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   Smooth, elegant, and beautiful movement.

   The dancer moved across the stage with great grace.

2. 2
   noun

   A polite and pleasant way of behaving towards others.

   She accepted the criticism with good grace.

3. 3
   noun

   A short prayer of thanks said before a meal.

   Their youngest son said grace before dinner.

4. 4
   noun

   In Christianity, the free and undeserved kindness and forgiveness of God.

   He believed he was saved by the grace of God.

Common collocations

• say grace Verb + noun
• natural grace Adjective + noun
• lack grace Verb + noun
• show grace Verb + noun
• effortless grace Adjective + noun
• quiet grace Adjective + noun

From Middle English grace, from Old French grace (modern French grâce), from Latin grātia (“kindness, favour, esteem”), from grātus (“pleasing”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʷerH- (“to praise, welcome”); compare grateful. The word displaced the native Middle English held, hield (“grace”) (from Old English held, hyld (“grace”)), Middle English este (“grace, favour, pleasure”) (from Old English ēst (“grace, kindness, favour”)), Middle English athmede(n) (“grace”) (from Old English ēadmēdu (“grace”)), Middle English are, ore (“grace, mercy, honour”) (from Old English ār (“honour, grace, kindness,…

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