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doxology

American  
[dok-sol-uh-jee] / dɒkˈsɒl ə dʒi /

noun

  • doxologies
    plural
  1. a hymn or form of words containing an ascription of praise to God.

  2. the Doxology, the metrical formula beginning “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.”


doxology British  
/ ˌdɒksəˈlɒdʒɪkəl, dɒkˈsɒlədʒɪ /

noun

  1. a hymn, verse, or form of words in Christian liturgy glorifying God

"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

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Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Etymology

Origin of doxology

1640–50; < Medieval Latin doxologia < Greek, equivalent to doxo- (combining form of dóxa honor, glory) + -logia -logy

Explanation

You're most likely to hear a doxology in a Christian church, since it's a short religious verse or prayer that is sung. The brief chant or song that comes at the end of a prayer in a Catholic church is one kind of doxology. In the Lord's Prayer, which is common in many different Christian churches, the final line ending in "forever and ever, amen," was added on to the original ancient Biblical manuscripts and is considered a doxology. The word comes from the Greek doxologia, "praise or glory," a combination of doxa, "glory," and logos, "a speaking."

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Vocabulary lists containing doxology

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Together, they are trying to understand why the doxology, always sung “in one way and one way only” suddenly has been “pepped up” with an energetic organ accompaniment.

From Los Angeles Times Oct. 21, 2025

The nondenominational New Life Church in Colorado Springs, for example, which has hosted prosperity-gospel preachers, was, in pre-pandemic times, concluding some of its services with an Anglican hymn to the Trinity known as a doxology.

From New York Times May 8, 2020

Photograph: Screenshot Pope Francis sings the doxology: “Through him and with him and in him”.

From The Guardian Sep. 20, 2015

BST09:52 Pope Francis sings the doxology: “Through him and with him and in him”.

From The Guardian Sep. 20, 2015

Many of our prayers, especially those of thanksgiving, conclude with a doxology.

From The Church Handy Dictionary by Anonymous

See also the doxologies, and the formulas of grace and peace introductory to the Epistles.

From The Messiah in Moses and the Prophets by Eleazar Lord

To give a history of doxologies in the general sense of the word would carry one through every Christian age and language and end with a concordance of the Book of Psalms.

From The Story of the Hymns and Tunes by Theron Brown

Out of its black wing is plucked the pen from which to write the brightest songs of earth and the richest doxologies of heaven.

From Around The Tea-Table by T. De Witt (Thomas De Witt) Talmage

When these fancy starveling songs get up to the gate of heaven, how do you suppose they look, standing beside the great doxologies of the glorified?

From The Abominations of Modern Society by T. De Witt (Thomas De Witt) Talmage

This is especially seen when the various prayers, thanksgivings, doxologies, and personal testimonies are considered.

From The Prayers of St. Paul by W. H. Griffith (William Henry Griffith) Thomas

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