Humility is the quality of being humble. The Oxford Dictionary, in its 1998 edition, describes humility as having a low opinion of oneself or not being prideful. More recent definitions of humility involve having an accurate opinion of oneself and expressing one-self's modesty as appropriate, with clear goal orientation, openness, broad-mindedness, and a non-imposing mentality. In a religious context, humility can mean a self-recognition of a deity (i.e. God) and subsequent submission to that deity as a religious member. Outside of a religious context, humility is defined as being "unselved"—liberated from the consciousness of self—a form of temperance that is neither having pride (or haughtiness) nor indulging in self-deprecation.
Humility may also refer to a proper sense of self-regard. Humility may be misinterpreted as the capacity to endure humiliation through self-denigration. This misconception arises from the confusion of humility with traits like submissiveness and meekness. Such misinterpretations prioritize self-preservation and self-aggrandizement over true humility, and emphasize an undiminished focus on the self.