The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Humility \Hu*mil"i*ty\, n.; pl. Humilities. [OE. humilite, OF.
humilit['e], humelit['e], F. humilit['e], fr. L. humiliatis.
See Humble.]
1. The state or quality of being humble; freedom from pride
and arrogance; lowliness of mind; a modest estimate of
one's own worth; a sense of one's own unworthiness through
imperfection and sinfulness; self-abasement; humbleness.
[1913 Webster]
Serving the Lord with all humility of mind. --Acts
xx. 19.
[1913 Webster]
2. An act of submission or courtesy.
[1913 Webster]
With these humilities they satisfied the young king.
--Sir J.
Davies.
Syn: Lowliness; humbleness; meekness; modesty; diffidence.
Usage: Humility, Modesty, Diffidence. Diffidence is a
distrust of our powers, combined with a fear lest our
failure should be censured, since a dread of failure
unconnected with a dread of censure is not usually
called diffidence. It may be carried too far, and is
not always, like modesty and humility, a virtue.
Modesty, without supposing self-distrust, implies an
unwillingness to put ourselves forward, and an absence
of all over-confidence in our own powers. Humility
consists in rating our claims low, in being willing to
waive our rights, and take a lower place than might be
our due. It does not require of us to underrate
ourselves.
[1913 Webster]