1. The exercise of love, kindness, mercy, favor; disposition to benefit or serve another; favor bestowed or privilege conferred. To bow and sue for grace With suppliant knee. Milton.
2. (Theol.)
Defn: The divine favor toward man; the mercy of God, as distinguished from His justice; also, any benefits His mercy imparts; divine love or pardon; a state of acceptance with God; enjoyment of the divine favor. And if by grace, then is it no more of works. Rom. xi. 6. My grace is sufficicnt for thee. 2 Cor. xii. 9. Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. Rom. v. 20. By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand. Rom. v.2
3. (Law) (a) The prerogative of mercy execised by the executive, as pardon. (b) The same prerogative when exercised in the form of equitable relief through chancery.
4. Fortune; luck; — used commonly with hard or sorry when it means misfortune. [Obs.] Chaucer.
5. Inherent excellence; any endowment or characteristic fitted to win favor or confer pleasure or benefit. He is complete in feature and in mind. With all good grace to grace a gentleman. Shak. I have formerly given the general character of Mr. Addison's style and manner as natural and unaffected, easy and polite, and full of those graces which a flowery imagination diffuses over writing. Blair.
6. Beauty, physical, intellectual, or moral; loveliness; commonly, easy elegance of manners; perfection of form. Grace in women gains the affections sooner, and secures them longer, than any thing else. Hazlitt. I shall answer and thank you again For the gift and the grace of the gift. Longfellow.
7. pl. (Myth.)
Defn: Graceful and beautiful females, sister goddesses, represented by ancient writers as the attendants sometimes of Apollo but oftener of Venus. They were commonly mentioned as three in number; namely, Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia, and were regarded as the inspirers of the qualities which give attractiveness to wisdom, love, and social intercourse. The Graces love to weave the rose. Moore. The Loves delighted, and the Graces played. Prior.
8. The title of a duke, a duchess, or an archbishop, and formerly of the king of England. How fares your Grace ! Shak.