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Today, 贞 is primarily an adjective denoting chastity, loyalty, and unwavering moral integrity. Its traditional form 貞 combines the divination radical 卜 above the cowrie shell component 貝; 貝 was later simplified to 贝 in the modern 贞. In its earliest usage, the character was strictly tied to divination: it referred to asking questions of spirits or interpreting omens during state rituals. Over time, its meaning shifted from these spiritual and ritualistic origins to ethical descriptions, yielding today's senses of steadfastness, fidelity, and personal virtue in adversity.
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她对爱情很忠贞。
贞洁是一种美德。
他保持着坚贞的信念。
在古代，贞节被看得很重。
她的贞操观受到现代思想的挑战。
尽管面临诱惑，他依然忠贞不渝。
贞烈女子的故事在民间流传。
对于贞洁的理解，不同文化有差异。
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