homage

American  

[hom-ij, om-, oh-mahzh] / ˈhɒm ɪdʒ, ˈɒm-, oʊˈmɑʒ /

noun

1. respect or reverence paid or rendered.

   In his speech he paid homage to Washington and Jefferson.

   Synonyms:

   tribute, honor, obeisance, deference

   Antonyms:

   irreverence

2. the formal public acknowledgment by which a feudal tenant or vassal declared himself to be the man or vassal of his lord, owing him fealty and service.

3. the relation thus established of a vassal to his lord.

   Synonyms:

   devotion, loyalty, fidelity

   Antonyms:

   disloyalty

4. something done or given in acknowledgment or consideration of the worth of another.

   a Festschrift presented as an homage to a great teacher.

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homage British  

/ ˈhɒmɪdʒ /

noun

1. a public show of respect or honour towards someone or something (esp in the phrases pay or do homage to )

2. 1. the act of respect and allegiance made by a vassal to his lord See also fealty

   2. something done in acknowledgment of vassalage

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verb

1. archaic to render homage to

homage Cultural  

1. Under feudalism, the personal submission of a vassal to a lord, by which the vassal pledged to serve the lord and the lord to protect the vassal.

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Etymology

Origin of homage

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English (h)omage, from Old French, equivalent to (h)ome “man” (from Latin hominem, accusative of homō; see Homo) + -age -age

Explanation

Homage means great respect and honor, or something done to honor a person or thing. We pay homage to our ancestors and say prayers in homage to their memory. In Middle English, homage specifically referred to respect for and loyalty to a feudal lord. The word was borrowed from Old French, probably from omne, homme "man," from Latin homō. The noun suffix –age is used to mean "an action, process, result, or state."

Example Sentences

Homage is also paid to artists who reached their heyday before many of the online audience members were born.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 1, 2024

It replaces the traditional Homage of Peers in which a long line of hereditary peers knelt and made a pledge to the monarch in person.

From BBC • May 1, 2023

“The Homage of the People is particularly exciting because that’s brand new,” said a spokesman for Lambeth Palace, the archbishop’s official London residence.

From Washington Post • Apr. 30, 2023

Homage is paid to the influences and achievements of the great figures of jazz — especially Louis Armstrong, whose career, says Mr. Hughes, “is almost the whole story of orchestral jazz in America.”

From New York Times • Oct. 21, 2021

I have named this one Torontodalisque: Homage to Ingres, because of the pose, and the rubber plant like a fan behind her.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

Related Words

• allegiance
• deference
• loyalty
• reverence
• tribute