Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

antiphon

American  
[an-tuh-fon] / ˈæn təˌfɒn /

noun

  1. a verse or song to be chanted or sung in response.

  2. Ecclesiastical.

    1. a psalm, hymn, or prayer sung in alternate parts.

    2. a verse or a series of verses sung as a prelude or conclusion to some part of the service.


antiphon British  
/ ˈæntɪfən /

noun

  1. a short passage, usually from the Bible, recited or sung as a response after certain parts of a liturgical service

  2. a psalm, hymn, etc, chanted or sung in alternate parts

  3. any response or answer

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of antiphon

1490–1500; < Medieval Latin antiphōna responsive singing < Greek ( ) antíphōna, neuter plural of antíphōnos sounding in answer, equivalent to anti- anti- + phōn ( ) sound + -os adj. suffix. Cf. anthem

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Clusterchord EP is out now on Antiphon, with the Scorpio Little Devil album to follow in January 2013.

From The Guardian • Nov. 26, 2012

Writer Djuna Barnes's allusive verse play, The Antiphon, which opened in Stockholm.

From Time Magazine Archive

You think, Antiphon, I live so poorly that I believe you would rather die than live like me. 

From The Memorable Thoughts of Socrates by Morley, Henry

The proposal was accepted; and Antiphon, a celebrated diviner, appointed to consult the oracle.

From Philothea A Grecian Romance by Child, Lydia Maria Francis

Antiphon, the sophist, says: "The law, the outcome of an agreement, coerces nature, the result of growth, and goes against the interest of the individual."

From Morals and the Evolution of Man by Nordau, Max Simon

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "antiphon" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com