ME'ANNESS, noun Want of dignity or rank; low state; as meanness of birth or condition. Poverty is not always meanness; it may be connected with it, but men of dignified minds and manners are often poor. 1. Want of excellence of any kind; poorness; rudeness. This figure is of a later date, by the meanness of the workmanship. 2. Lowness of mind; want of dignity and elevation; want of honor. meanness in men incurs contempt. All dishonesty is meanness 3. Sordidness; niggardliness; opposed to liberality or charitableness. meanness is very different from frugality. 4. Want of richness; poorness; as the meanness of dress or equipage.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI