noun, plural jeal·ous·ies for 4.
- jealous resentment against a rival, a person enjoying success or advantage, etc., or against another’s success or advantage itself.
- mental uneasiness from suspicion or fear of rivalry, unfaithfulness, etc., as in love or aims.
- vigilance in maintaining or guarding something.
- a jealous feeling, disposition, state, or mood.
noun plural -ousies
- the state or quality of being jealous
c.1200, of God; c.1300, of persons, from Old French jalousie “enthusiasm, love, longing, jealousy” (12c.), from jalos (see jealous). Meaning “zeal, fervor, devotion” is late 14c.