anthem

[ an-thuh m ]

/ ˈæn θəm /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR anthem ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a song, as of praise, devotion, or patriotism: the national anthem of Spain; our college anthem.

a piece of sacred vocal music, usually with words taken from the Scriptures.

a hymn sung alternately by different sections of a choir or congregation.

verb (used with object)

to celebrate with or in an anthem.

Nearby words

antheil, anthelic arc, anthelion, anthelix, anthelmintic, anthem, anthema, anthemion, anthemius of tralles, anther, antheridiophore

Origin of anthem

before 1000; Middle English antem, Old English antemn(e), antefne < Late Latin antefana, antiphōna (feminine singular) < Greek antíphōna (see antiphon); spelling with h probably by association with hymn, with pronunciation then changed to reflect spelling

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for anthem

“If BMW is ‘the ultimate driving machine,’ your Anthem is the ultimate differentiator,” writes Hogshead.
Can Self-Help Books Really Make a New You?|Lizzie Crocker|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They might have played the Miss America anthem, “There She Is!”
The Sexy Dream of the 747|Clive Irving|October 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“No Scrubs,” an anthem about self-respect on the dating market.
Beyoncé Is Our Indigo Girl: The Halcyon '90s and Feminism's Resurgence in Pop Music|Amanda Marcotte|August 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She poses in another picture with Tucanes de Tijuana, a narcocorrido band that composed an anthem to Los Antrax.
Is Mexico's Kim Kardashian-Lookalike Assassin for Real?|Michael Daly|June 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Every hour, the anthem is played, followed by Orthodox priests intoning prayers and beseeching God not to forsake Ukraine.
EuroMaidan Protesters: We Want U.S. Protection|Jamie Dettmer|March 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The chapter of Notre-Dame had an anthem sung every day for my deliverance.
The Memoirs of Cardinal de Retz, Complete|Jean Francois Paul de Gondi, Cardinal de Retz
The male portion of us raise our hats, and remain uncovered while the anthem is played.
Wanderings in India|John Lang
Nine times they sang this anthem, and then the whole place was filled with blinding light.
The Secret Glory|Arthur Machen
Through everything else I had been upheld; but at the strains of that anthem, and all it implied, I broke down helplessly.
The High Heart|Basil King
The solemn music of an anthem she had known and loved in the old far-off days of her girlhood rose and surged through her.
The Lamp in the Desert|Ethel M. Dell

British Dictionary definitions for anthem

anthem

/ (ˈænθəm) /

noun

a song of loyalty or devotion, as to a nation or collegea national anthem

a musical composition for a choir, usually set to words from the Bible, sung as part of a church service

a religious chant sung antiphonally

a popular rock or pop song

Derived Forms

anthemic (ænˈθɛmɪk), adjective

Word Origin for anthem

Old English antemne, from Late Latin antiphōna antiphon

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