The Meaning of Grace: What It Is and How To Use It

What are the different definitions of grace? How can grace be used in different contexts? This article will cover all of the meanings of grace.

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The word grace has many meanings. This article will cover all the meanings of grace, its etymology, example sentences, translations, synonyms, and antonyms. Keep reading to learn more about grace!

What Does the Word Grace Mean?

According to Dictionary, grace is a noun that has many different definitions. Most often, grace refers to the beauty of movement, a sense of propriety, or an attractive quality. In Greek mythology, grace is thought of as three sister goddesses named Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia. 

Grace can also refer to temporary immunity from a penalty after something like a bill is due or something has expired and needs renewal, usually known as a grace period for a debtor. 

Finally, the title grace can be used for a duke, duchess, archbishop, or other members of nobility. The word grace can also be a verb that means to adorn or honor.

In Christian theology, the grace of God is the state of sanctification and unmerited love that God provides. This gift of God allows for the salvation of sinners in the Christian gospel, and the favor of God leads to salvation for the masses. Grace is sometimes said as a short prayer.

For Christians, God’s grace is thought to be divine assistance from the heavens, and Christ Jesus allows for the absolution of sin.

What Is the Origin of Grace?

Learning the etymology of different words like grace can be useful in understanding their meaning. The word grace has been used since the 1100s in Middle English and comes from Old French. This word comes from the Latin grātia, gratus, and grātus.

How Can We Use Grace in a Sentence?

Since the word grace has numerous definitions, this means that it can be used in many ways in sentences. When you study these example sentences containing the word grace, see if you can determine which meaning is being used in each: 

We said grace at the Thanksgiving dinner table to honor God’s divine influence.

We read about the concept of God’s grace in the books of Genesis, Ephesians, and Romans.

The girl in the cotillion walked with grace and impressed all of the banquet’s attendees.

We were grateful that we were still in our grace period when it came time to cancel our subscription to the expensive service. 

We honored the duchess by referring to her as “Your Grace.” 

What Are Translations of Grace?

The concept of grace is not exclusive to English-speakers — it is present all around the world! If you are going to speak with someone who does not know English and want to talk about the concept of grace, study this list of translations from Nice Translator. That way, you will be prepared to speak about grace in any language.

You might notice that several of these translations of grace look similar to the word grace. This often happens when a word in one language has the same root or language of origin as a word in another language. These wods are called cognates. How many can you spot?

  • Polish: wdzięk
  • Chinese (Taiwan): 優雅
  • Spanish: gracia
  • Basque: liraintasun
  • Serbian: грациозност
  • Arabic: نعمة او وقت سماح
  • Italian: adornare
  • Japanese: 恵み
  • Danish: nåde
  • Welsh: gras
  • Catalan: gràcia
  • Hebrew: חן
  • Tamil: கருணை
  • Turkish: lütuf
  • Portuguese (Portugal): graça
  • Icelandic: náður
  • Hindi: सुंदर
  • Kannada: ಗ್ರೇಸ್
  • French: la grâce
  • Malayalam: ചാരുത
  • Russian: милость
  • Thai: เกรซ
  • Bengali: অনুগ্রহ
  • Swedish: nåd
  • Estonian: arm
  • Norwegian: nåde
  • Bulgarian: гратис
  • Marathi: कृपा
  • Ukrainian: грація
  • Hungarian: kegyelem
  • Czech: milost
  • Latvian: žēlastība
  • Korean: 우아함
  • Amharic: ጸጋ
  • Vietnamese: duyên dáng
  • Urdu: فضل
  • Greek: χάρη
  • Dutch: elegantie
  • Slovak: rozmnožiť
  • German: Anmut
  • Portuguese (Brazil): graça
  • Indonesian: berkah
  • Croatian: milost
  • Telugu: దయ
  • Romanian: graţie
  • Gujarati: ગ્રેસ
  • Finnish: armo
  • Chinese (PRC): 优雅

What Are Synonyms of the Word Grace?

There are several words that can be used in place of the word grace. Since grace has numerous definitions, it can be useful to know synonyms for each in case someone is confused about your intended meaning. 

Study this list of synonyms of grace from Power Thesaurus to learn more!

  • adorn
  • amnesty
  • attractiveness
  • allowance of time
  • beatitude
  • beautify
  • beauty
  • bedeck
  • benediction
  • beneficence
  • benevolence
  • benignity
  • bless
  • blessing
  • blessings
  • charity
  • charm
  • clemency
  • comeliness
  • compassion
  • courtesy
  • cultivation
  • culture
  • decency
  • deck
  • decorate
  • decorum
  • dignify
  • discrimination
  • distinguish
  • elegance
  • embellish
  • endowment
  • kindliness
  • kindness
  • leniency
  • lenity
  • loveliness
  • manners
  • mercy
  • ornament
  • pardon
  • philanthropy
  • piety
  • pity
  • poise
  • polish
  • politeness
  • prayer
  • prettify
  • refinement
  • reprieve
  • righteousness
  • sanctity
  • seemliness
  • sophistication
  • style
  • suaveness
  • suppleness
  • tact
  • taste
  • tastefulness
  • thanks
  • thanksgiving
  • trim
  • urbanity

What Are Antonyms of the Word Grace?

Several words also mean the opposite of the word grace, known as antonyms. Power Thesaurus lists numerous antonyms of the word grace.

  • abhorrent behavior
  • abominable behavior
  • abuse
  • abusive behavior
  • abusiveness
  • aggravation
  • aggressive behavior
  • aggro
  • agitation
  • annoyance
  • antagonism
  • anxiety
  • arseholery
  • atrocious behavior
  • attaint
  • avarice
  • avenged sevenfold
  • awkwardness
  • bad side
  • banefulness
  • beg
  • betrayal
  • blight
  • blot
  • boorishness
  • brass neck
  • clumsiness
  • clunkiness
  • coarseness
  • commonness
  • complain
  • complication
  • conflict
  • consternation
  • controversiality
  • controversialness
  • controversy
  • critical nature
  • crudeness
  • cruelty
  • deface
  • demean
  • disfavor
  • disgrace
  • distress
  • embarrassment
  • evil
  • gracelessness
  • harshness
  • revenge
  • ruin
  • tastelessness
  • trouble
  • unseemliness
  • vulgarity

Conclusion

Grace is a word with several meanings. It can be used as a noun or verb in various contexts, from general usage to Christian theology. Try using the word grace in a sentence today!

Sources:

  1. Synonyms of Grace | Power Thesaurus 
  2. Grace antonyms – 420 Opposites of Grace | Power Thesaurus 
  3. Grace Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com 
  4. Grace | Nice Translator