humilitude

humilitude (countable and uncountable, plural humilitudes)

1. (rare, obsolete) Humility.
   • c. 1586, Sir Henry Sydney, "A Letter from Sir Henry Sydney to his Son Sir Philip Sydney" (reprinted in The Orthodox Churchman's Magazine, 1805, vol. 9, p. 361):

     [S]hew much humility, and some familiarity. . . . for high humilitudes take such deep root in the minds of the multitude (who are more easily won by unprofitable courtesies, than curious benefits) that I advise thee not to affect nor neglect popularities.

   • 1702, Cotton Mather, “[Book II (Ecclesiasum Clypei. […]).] Chapter IV. Nehemias Americanus. The Life of John Winthrop, Esq; Governour of the Massachuset Colony.”, in Magnalia Christi Americana: Or, the Ecclesiastical History of New-England, from Its First Planting in the Year 1620. unto the Year of Our Lord, 1698. […], London: […] Thomas Parkhurst, […], →OCLC, § 9, page 13, column 1:

     [A] pretended Invaſion made upon the Liberties of the People vvas complained of the Deputy-Governour, vvas moſt Irregularly call'd forth unto an Ignominous Hearing before them in a vaſt Aſſembly; vvhereto vvith a Sagacious Humilitude he conſented, although he ſhevv'd them hovv he might have Refuſed it.

   • 1817, Alicia M'Gennis, Strathbogie; or, The Recluse of Glenmorris‎, page 180:

     The attending spirits that waited the voice of justice fell prostrate down, but Robin, as by superior force impelled, raised his awe-inspired eyes in deep humilitude to the centre of this bright concave.

   • 1915, Credo Fitch Harris, chapter 23, in Sunlight Patch‎:

     "[H]enceforth I shall come into your exalted presence with bare-headed humilitude."

• John A. Simpson and Edmund S. C. Weiner, editors (1989), “humilitude”, in The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, →ISBN.