Gloria in Excelsis Deo

[ glawr-ee-uhin ek-sel-sis dey-oh, glohr- ]

/ ˈglɔr i ə ɪn ɛkˈsɛl sɪs ˈdeɪ oʊ, ˈgloʊr- /

Save This Word!

noun

the hymn beginning, in Latin, Gloria in Excelsis Deo, “Glory in the highest to God,” and in the English version, “Glory be to God on high.”

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.

Question 1 of 7

“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

true

false

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Also called great doxology, greater doxology.

Words nearby Gloria in Excelsis Deo

gloop, Glooscap, glop, gloppy, Gloria, Gloria in Excelsis Deo, Gloria Patri, glorification, glorify, gloriole, gloriosa

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use Gloria in Excelsis Deo in a sentence

This is a guy who has his son-in-law clean his eyeglasses, for crying out loud.
Will Chris Christie Regret His Cowboy Hug?|Matt Lewis|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Her travel clique has been known to arrive at an airport, bags packed, passport-in-hand, within hours of spotting a deal.
‘We Out Here’: Inside the New Black Travel Movement|Charlise Ferguson|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
What stuck in my mind were the two supporting actors, Gloria Grahame and Lee Marvin.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Earl Spencer adds, “Effectively, my great-grandfather sold his children to his father-in-law.”
The Real-Life ‘Downton’ Millionairesses Who Changed Britain|Tim Teeman|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The lack of a gun is not likely to be a major problem for close-in air-to-air dogfights against other jets.
New U.S. Stealth Jet Can’t Fire Its Gun Until 2019|Dave Majumdar|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Such throats are trying, are they not?In case one catches cold; Ah, yes!
Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building, Volume I (of 17)|Various
The commander-in-chief still kept him attached to the headquarter staff, and constantly employed him on special service.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
So far Murat had always held subordinate commands; his great ambition was to become the commander-in-chief of an independent army.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
Their jurisdictions overlapped and the Gascon would play second fiddle to no one save to his great brother-in-law.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
But the novel disappeared under the clothes with amazing celerity as the voice of her sister-in-law demanded admission.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills

British Dictionary definitions for Gloria in Excelsis Deo

Gloria in Excelsis Deo

/ (ˈɡlɔːrɪə ɪn ɛkˈsɛlsɪsˈ deɪəʊ, ˈɡlɔːrɪˌɑː, ɛksˈtʃɛlsɪs) /

noun

the Greater Doxology, beginning in Latin with these wordsSee doxology

a musical setting of this, usually incorporated into the Ordinary of the Mass

Often shortened to: Gloria

Word Origin for Gloria in Excelsis Deo

literally: glory to God in the highest

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