breviary

[ bree-vee-er-ee, brev-ee- ]
See synonyms for breviary on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural bre·vi·ar·ies.
  1. Roman Catholic Church. a book containing all the daily psalms, hymns, prayers, lessons, etc., necessary for reciting the office.

  2. a book of daily prayers and readings in some other churches.

Origin of breviary

1
First recorded in 1540–50, breviary is from the Latin word breviārium an abridgment. See brevi-, -ary

Words Nearby breviary

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use breviary in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for breviary

breviary

/ (ˈbriːvjərɪ) /


nounplural -ries
  1. RC Church a book of psalms, hymns, prayers, etc, to be recited daily by clerics in major orders and certain members of religious orders as part of the divine office

  2. a similar book in the Orthodox Church

Origin of breviary

1
C16: from Latin breviārium an abridged version, from breviāre to shorten, from brevis short

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