Ubumsulwa, obaziwa nangokuthi ubumsulwa, ubuhle obuhlobene nokuzithiba.Umuntu omsulwa uyazigwema ezenzweni zocansi ezibhekwa njengokuziphatha okubi noma yimuphi umsebenzi wobulili, ngokwesimo sempilo yakhe.Kwezinye izimo, ngokwesibonelo lapho wenza isifungo sobumsulwa, ubumsulwa bungasho okufanayo nokungashadi . Amagama amsulwa nobumsulwa avela castus sesiLatini esithi castus ("ukunqunywa", "ukuhlukaniswa", "umsulwa").Amagama angene olimini lwesiNgisi cishe maphakathi nekhulu le-13.Okumsulwa kwakusho "okuhle", "okumsulwa ocansini olungekho emthethweni") noma (kusukela ekuqaleni kwekhulu le-14 kuya phambili) njengebizo, intombi,ngenkathi ubumsulwa busho "ubumsulwa (ngokocansi)". UThomas Aquinas uxhumanisa i- castus (ubumsulwa) castigo sesiLatini esithi castigo ("ukujezisa, ukukhuza, ukulungisa"), kubhekiswe ku- Aristotle 's Nicomachean Ethics : UChastity uthatha igama lakhe ekutheni isizathu "sokujezisa" inkanuko, okufana nengane, edinga ukunqandeka, njengoba isazi sefilosofi sisho . KumaJuda amaningi, amaKristu, namaSulumane, izenzo zobulili zikhawulelwe emshadweni.Kubantu abangashadile, ubumsulwa bulingana nokuzithiba kwezocansi.Izenzo zocansi ngaphandle noma ngaphandle komshado, ezifana ukuphinga, ubufebe, futhi ngomzimba, ezibhekwa zokuziphatha okubi ngenxa nenkanuko.