What is the definition of “blessed”?
According to dictionaries like Webster, “blessed” can mean consecrated or holy, divinely favored or fortunate, or supremely happy and content. It also has an informal use as an intensifier, such as “every blessed cent,” and can refer to a happy or fortunate event, like a baby’s birth.
Religious meanings
- Holy or sacred: Consecrated for religious purposes or to God.
- Divinely favored: Enjoying the favor of God or expressing spiritual happiness.
- Worthy of adoration: Held in high reverence, as in the “Blessed Trinity” or “the Blessed Virgin Mary”.
General meanings
- Fortunate or happy: Possessing good fortune or enjoying spiritual happiness and heavenly felicity.
- Delightful: Bringing contentment, such as a “blessed relief” from pain.
- Intensifier: Used in informal speech to add emphasis, similar to “very”.
Examples
- The Blessed Sacrament refers to a holy sacrament.
- He was blessed with a gift for languages, meaning he was fortunate to have that ability.
- It was a blessed event when the baby was born, signifying the happiness and relief of the parents.