inwardness

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English

Etymology

From Middle English inwardnesse; analysable as inward +‎ -ness.

Noun

inwardness (countable and uncountable, plural inwardnesses)

  1. The characteristic of being inward or directed towards the inside.
  2. (obsolete)
    1. The internal or true state; the essential nature.
      Synonyms: crux, gist; see also Thesaurus:gist
      the inwardness of conduct
      • 1642, H M, “(please specify the chapter)”, in ΨΥΧΩΔΙΑ Platonica: Or A Platonicall Song of the Soul, , Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Roger Daniel, printer to the Universitie, →OCLC:
        Sense cannot arrive at th’inwardness of things.
    2. Familiarity; intimacy.
      • 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :
        Signior Leonato, let the friar advise you: / And though you know my inwardness and love / Is very much unto the prince and Claudio, / Yet, by mine honour, I will deal in this / As secretly and justly as your soul / Should with your body.
    3. Earnestness; heartiness.
      • 1873, Matthew Arnold, “Religion New-given”, in Literature & Dogma: An Essay towards a Better Apprehension of the Bible, London: Smith, Elder, & Co. , →OCLC, section 1, page 83:
        The prophets perpetually reminded their nation of the superiority of judgment and justice to any exterior ceremony like sacrifice. […] hat was wanted was more inwardness, more feeling. This was given by adding mercy and humbleness to judgment and justice.

Translations

Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.
(See the entry for “inwardness”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.)

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