Forms: 3–4 solempnete, 4–5 -ite(e, -ytee, 4–6 -yte, 4–7 -itie (6 -ytye); 4 sollempnete, -ite, 5 -itee, -ytee; 4–5 solemnete, -ite(e, 5–6 -yte, 6–7 -itie, 6– solemnity. [a. OF. solempneté, -ité (= Sp. solemnidad, Pg. solemnidade), ad. L. sōl-, sollem(p)nitas (post-classical), f. sōl-, sollem(p)nis SOLEMN a.: see -ITY. The ME. form solem(p)nete was app. sometimes stressed on the first syllable: cf. SOLEMNTY.]
1. Observance of ceremony or special formality on important occasions: a. In the phrases with or in (great, etc.) solemnity. Now rare.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 269. Heo bureden þat holi bodi hasteliche þere biside With luyte solempnete i-novȝ.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 1313. He sesed hem with solemnete, þe souerayn he praysed.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 352. With gret solempnete He was unto his dignete Received, and coroned king.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), xxxiv. 153. Þai bere þe body to a hill with grete sollempnytee.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, VII. xxxvi. 270. The Bisshop of Caunterbury made the weddyng … with grete solempnyte.
a. 1557. Mrs. M. Basset, trans. More’s Treat. Passion, M.’s Wks. 1398. My blessed Martyrs … shal … with woondrefull solempnitie enter into heauen.
1590. Shaks., Mids. N., IV. i. 182. Wee’ll hold a feast in great solemnitie.
1611. Bible, Transl. Pref., 1. For bringing backe the Arke of God in solemnitie.
1719. Young, Revenge, V. i. And then, with all the cool solemnity Of public justice, give her to the grave.
1759. Robertson, Hist. Scotl., Wks. 1813, I. 366. The conference, however, was opened with much solemnity.
1875. Times, 9 May. The Emperor … was received with all the solemnity that befits so great a Potentate.
b. In general use.
c. 1340. Hampole, Psalter cxvii. 26. Makis solempnyte in ȝoure saule.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., II. 124. Þe Jewis calengiden … to have a man ȝovun to hem, for solempnite of þe feeste.
c. 1400. Love, Bonavent. Mirr. (1908), 50. The solempnite and the worthynesse of this feste and this hiȝe day.
c. 1420. Brut, ccxli. 349. Þe King … welcomed hir…, and made þere alle þe solempnite þat myȝt be do.
1502. Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W., 1506), I. ii. Them that be ordeyned of god & of holy churche as well in case of necessyte as of solempnyte.
1553. Eden, Treat. New Ind. (Arb.), 14. The king hereof vseth great pride & solemnitie.
1613. Purchas, Pilgrimage (1614), 192. If a female child be borne, there is small solemnitie.
1653. H. More, Antid. Ath., II. ii. § 5. Instead of all this Glory and Solemnity there had been nothing but howlings and shoutings.
1759. Robertson, Hist. Scotl., VII. Wks. 1813, I. 511. Elizabeth resolved that no circumstance of pomp or solemnity should be wanting.
1821. Shelley, Ginevra, 161. The marriage feast and its solemnity Was turned to funeral pomp.
2. An occasion of ceremony; an observance or celebration of special importance; a festival or other similar occasion.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 13874. Iesus went him forth…, Til it come a solempnite, He com a-gain in þat cite.
1390. Gower, Conf., III. 166. So myhte every man aboute The day of that solempnete His tale telle.
c. 1400. Brut, Prol. 1. Dioclician þoughte maryen his Doughtres among all þo knyghtys þat tho were at that solempnite.
c. 1425. Found. St. Bartholomew’s (E.E.T.S.), 47. This childe … was browght to the forsaid chirche yn the solempnyte of the glorious Apostle.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Huon, lxii. 217. Then they went all with the pope to his palays, and there was made the solempnytes of ye maryage.
1570–6. Lambarde, Peramb. Kent (1826), 259. King Edwarde the Seconde … held the solemnitie of a whole Christmasse in the house of this Manor.
1617. Moryson, Itin., III. 219. Among other solemnities, they roasted an Oxe in the middest of the field for the people.
1673. Temple, Ess. Irel., Wks. 1720, I. 119. Many … may come, not only as to a publick kind of Solemnity, but as to a great Mart of the best Horses.
1710. Prideaux, Orig. Tithes, ii. 113. Such a multitude of People were fed … during their continuance together at those Solemnities.
1763. J. Brown, Poetry & Mus., iv. 41. Hymns or Odes would be composed, and Sung by their Composers at their festal Solemnities.
1834. K. H. Digby, Mores Cath., V. vii. 218. Assisting on Easter day at the divine office of this great solemnity.
1867. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1877), I. 426. The king engaged in a remarkable solemnity on the spot which had witnessed his last battle.
† b. A ceremonial procession. Obs.
1636. W. Strode, Floating Isl., II. iv. Enter in the midst of the song Amorous ushering the solemnity.
1707. Lond. Gaz., No. 4374/1. When the Solemnity came near St. Mark’s-Place, the Norton Galley hoisted the Union Colours.
1731. Gentl. Mag., I. 441/1. A Representation of the Solemnity and Procession of the Lord Mayor of London thro’ the City.
† 3. Applied concretely (see quots.). Obs.
c. 1435. Torr. Portugal, 1591. My two dragons hast thou slan, My solempnite they were.
1449. Churchw. Acc. St. George’s, Stamford, in Nicholls (1797), 133. I bequethe to the seyd Chirch of Seynt George a solempnitie of array for the fest of Corpus Christi.
4. † a. Proper or regular performance. Obs.–1
c. 1440. Pallad. on Husb., IV. 2. At Marches mone, in contrey that is colde, Putacioun hath his solempnite [L. celebratur].
b. Law. Necessary formality, such as is requisite to make an act or document valid.
1588. in T. Morris, Provosts of Methven (1875), 72. The solempnitie of the law … [being] obseruit.
1590. Swinburne, Testaments, 6. The testament is imperfect in respect of solemnitie, wherein some of the Legall requisites … be wanting.
1665. Caldwell Papers (Maitland Club), I. 63. Not being sealled be the seall of the partie, quilk was ane essentiall solemnitie of contracts.
1669. E. Chamberlayne, Pres. St. Eng., 158. If she [the Queen] be Plaintiff, the Summons in the Process need not have the solemnity of 15 dayes.
1871. Markby, Elem. Law, § 171. The contract … should be accompanied by certain solemnities as they are called.
1875. K. E. Digby, Real Prop., x. § 1 (1876), 374. No solemnity short of a deed is regarded by our law as sufficient to create a right of this kind.
5. The state or character of being solemn or serious; impressiveness; gravity; a solemn utterance or statement.
1712. Addison, Spectator, No. 405, ¶ 3. That Solemnity of Phrase, which may be drawn from the Sacred Writings.
1741. C. Middleton, Cicero, I. I. (ed. 2), 2. A writer, who loves to raise the solemnity of his story by the introduction of something miraculous.
1794. Mrs. Radcliffe, Myst. Udolpho, III. ii. 42–3. The solemnity of this silence … subdued her spirits.
1822–7. Good, Study Med. (1829), II. 486. At present, from a knowledge of the circulation of the blood, we can smile at these nugatory solemnities.
1883. Froude, Short Stud., IV. II. i. 164. Subjects which in our fathers’ time were approached only with the deepest reverence and solemnity.
