Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A jealous attitude or disposition.
  • noun Close vigilance.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The state or character of being jealous; zealous watchfulness; earnest solicitude for that which concerns one's self or others; suspicious care; suspicion.
  • noun Specifically—2. Distress or resentment caused by suspected or actual loss, through the rivalry of another, of the love, good will, or success one desires to retain or secure; fear or suspicion of successful rivalry, especially in love.
  • noun The plant Sedum rupestre.
  • noun Synonyms See envy.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The quality of being jealous; earnest concern or solicitude; painful apprehension of rivalship in cases directly affecting one's happiness; painful suspicion of the faithfulness of husband, wife, or lover.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun uncountable A state of suspicious guarding towards a spouse, lover etc., from fears of infidelity.
  • noun countable A resentment towards someone for a perceived advantage or superiority they hold.
  • noun Envy towards another's possessions
  • noun archaic A close concern for someone or something, solicitude, vigilance.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a feeling of jealous envy (especially of a rival)
  • noun zealous vigilance

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Old French jalousie, see jealous, -y.

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Examples

Comments

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  • "Jealousy is a kind of Civil War in the Soul, where Judgment and Imagination are at perpetual Jars.

    This Civil Dissension in the Mind, like that of the Body Politick, commits great Disorders, and lays all waste.

    Nothing stands safe in its Way: Nature, Interest, Religion, must Yield to its Fury."

    - William Penn, 'Fruits of Solitude'.

    September 8, 2009