litany

[lit-n-ee]

noun

plural

litanies 

1. a ceremonial or liturgical form of prayer consisting of a series of invocations or supplications with responses that are the same for a number in succession.

2. the Litany, the supplication in this form in the Book of Common Prayer.

3. a recitation or recital that resembles a litany.

4. a prolonged or tedious account.

   We heard the whole litany of their complaints.

   Synonyms: enumeration, catalog, list

litany

/ ˈlɪtənɪ /

noun

1. Christianity

   1. a form of prayer consisting of a series of invocations, each followed by an unvarying response

   2. the general supplication in this form included in the Book of Common Prayer

2. any long or tedious speech or recital

litany

1. In many religions, a ritual repetition of prayers. Usually a clergyman or singer chants a prayer, and the congregation makes a response, such as “Lord, have mercy.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of litany¹

before 900; < Late Latin litanīa < Late Greek litaneía litany, Greek: an entreating, equivalent to litan- (stem of litaínein, variant of litaneúein to pray) + -eia -y ³; replacing Middle English letanie, Old English letanīa < Medieval Latin, Late Latin, as above

Word History and Origins

Origin of litany¹

C13: via Old French from Medieval Latin litanīa from Late Greek litaneia prayer, ultimately from Greek litē entreaty

Example Sentences

So it only makes sense that L.A. has a litany of events for locals to celebrate this large and vibrant community on Indigenous Peoples day.

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But he had a litany of health problems.

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Why else would there be such a litany of lawsuits against him?

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His Tevye, a patriarch trying to hold his family together amid the double assault of poverty and pogroms, was especially touching in his appeal to the Almighty to ease up on the litany of suffering.

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Lepore follows chronology, flavoring her narrative with graphs, digressions, even a litany of failed amendments.

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Related Words

• catalogue 
• recitation 
• repetition