homily

[hom-uh-lee]

noun

plural

homilies 

1. a sermon, usually on a Biblical topic and usually of a nondoctrinal nature.

2. an admonitory or moralizing discourse.

3. an inspirational saying or cliché.

homily

/ ˈhɒmɪlɪ /

noun

1. a sermon or discourse on a moral or religious topic

2. moralizing talk or writing

Other Word Forms

• homilist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of homily¹

1545–55; < Late Latin homīlia < Greek homīlía assembly, sermon, equivalent to hómīl ( os ) crowd ( hom ( oû ) together + -īlos, masculine combining form of ī́lē (feminine) crowd) + -ia -y ³; replacing Middle English omelie < Middle French < Latin, as above

Word History and Origins

Origin of homily¹

C14: from Church Latin homīlia, from Greek: discourse, from homilein to converse with, from homilos crowd, from homou together + ilē crowd

Example Sentences

In his homily, the pope praised “the fire of charity” that sustains both giver and receiver.

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Delivering the homily at Saturday's funeral, Fr Timothy Bartlett said that "the peace of an ordinary summer Sunday morning" had been "cruelly shattered by acts of vicious and senseless violence".

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He led the lunchtime one in the cathedral, telling parishioners during his homily, “We want to go out and console our neighbors and strengthen their hearts and encourage them to keep the faith.”

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But he seemed to have Americans on his mind in his first homily as pope.

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As part of that mass he will deliver a homily in the presence of numerous heads of state and dignitaries.

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Related Words

• lecture