Lexical Definition

‎σεμνός‎ semnós (sem-nos') noble ^G:A
from ‎σέβομαι‎

grave, honest.

• venerable, i.e. honorable

Abbott-Smith

σεμνός, -ή, -όν (< σέβομαι), [in LXX: Pr 6:8 8:6 15:26(נָגִיד,נֹעַם), II Mac 6:11, 6:28 8:15, IV Mac 5:36 7:15 17:5 * ;]
1. reverend, august, venerable, in cl. of the gods and also of human beings.
2. grave, serious; of persons: I Ti 3:8, 11, Tit 2:2; of things: Phl 4:8 (v. Tr., Syn., § xcii; Cremer, 37; MM, xxii).†

Abbott-Smith References

Liddell-Scott-Jones

σεμνός,, ή, όν,

(σέβομαι) revered, august, holy:

__I properly of gods, e.g. Demeter, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; at Athens the Erinyes were specially the σεμναὶ θεαί, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; or simply Σεμναί, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸ σ. ὄνομα their name, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__I.2 of things divine, ὄργια σ. [Refs 6th c.BC+]; σ. ἄντρον the cave of Cheiron, [Refs]; σ. δόμος the temple of Apollo, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; σέλμα σ. ἡμένων, of the Olympian gods, [Refs]; σ. ἔργα, of the gods, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; σ. βίος devoted to the gods, [Refs]; σεμνὰ φθέγγεσθαι, ={εὔφημα}, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἦ πού τι σ. ἔστιν ὃ ξυναμπέχει; [Refs 4th c.BC+]; τὸ σ. holiness, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
__II of human or half-human beings, reverend, august, ἐν θρόνῳ σεμνῷ σεμνὸν θωκέοντα [Refs 5th c.BC+]; αἱ φαυλότεραι.. παρὰ τὰς σεμνὰς καθεδοῦνται beside the great ladies, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἄνθρωπος οὐ σ., i.e. a nobody, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; opposed to χαῦνος, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; opposed to κομψός, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with dative, revered by.. , σ. πόλει [Refs]; also, worthy of respect, honourable, [NT]
__II.2 of human things, august, stately, majestic, θᾶκοι [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ταφή [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πράγματα, ἔργα, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of Tragedy, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of style, [Refs 4th c.BC+] (comparative); of certain metres, [Refs]; ἐπὶ τὸ σ. μιμεῖσθαι to imitate it in its noble qualities, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; σ. τι λέγειν, πράσσειν, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; οὐδὲν σ. nothing very wonderful, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; so τί ἂν εἴη τὸ σ. (i.e. τοῦ νοῦ); [Refs]; worthy of respect, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; σεμνόν ἐστι, with infinitive, 'tis a noble, fine thing to.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.3 metaphorically, σ. βρῶμα a noble dish, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
__III in bad sense, proud, haughty, τὰ σέμν᾽ ἔπη [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸ σ. haughty reserve, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__III.2 in contempt or irony, solemn, pompous, σ. καὶ ἅγιον [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τί σεμνὸν καὶ πεφροντικὸς βλέπει; look grave and solemn, [σεμνός 5th c.BC: Cratinus Comicus 355 ">Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὡς σ. οὑπίτριπτος how grand the rascal is! [Refs 5th c.BC+]; λόγοι σ. [Refs 4th c.BC+]
__IV adverb -νῶς[Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὥσπερ κοχλίας σεμνῶς ἐπηρκὼς τὰς ὀφρῦς, of Plato, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: comparative -ότερον[Refs 5th c.BC+]: superlative -ότατα[Refs 2nd c.BC+]

_{LSJ Scripture Refs: 1Tim.3.8 ☩ Phil.4.8}