homily

[ hom-uh-lee ]

/ ˈhɒm ə li /

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See synonyms for homily on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural hom·i·lies.

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

an admonitory or moralizing discourse.

an inspirational saying or cliché.

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Origin of homily

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-y³; replacing Middle English omelie<Middle French <Latin, as above

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH homily

homely, homily

Words nearby homily

homie, homiletic, homiletics, homiliary, homilist, homily, homing, homing device, homing guidance, homing pigeon, hominid

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use homily in a sentence

He figured on letting the gospel, specifically Matthew 1:28, guide his homily.
11 Children Shot in Milwaukee, One in Her Grandpa's Lap|Michael Daly|November 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Then on March 23, Romero delivered a truly impassioned homily.
Why Pope Francis Wants to Declare Murdered Archbishop Romero a Saint|Christopher Dickey|August 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Pope Francis was uncharacteristically ceremonial, sticking largely to his scripted homily and dressed in the usual papal garb.
Onscene as Pope Francis Makes Saints of John Paul II and John XXIII|Barbie Latza Nadeau|April 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The question she was asked by the priest during his homily: “What would you like for Christmas?”
‘Resurrection’ Is TV’s Silliest Show and Probably Dead on Arrival|Kevin Fallon|March 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Since Wright had no plans to take part in the beachside homily and ticket booths were shuttered, she was out of luck.
Pope Francis, ‘the Maker of Traffic Jams’|Mac Margolis|July 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He mounts his best ruffles and his finest tunic as he sits down to write his homily.
A Cursory History of Swearing|Julian Sharman
Such a homily, at such a time, must have made Mary feel like a person of a very ordinary sort indeed.
The Life and Letters of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Volume I (of 2)|Florence A. Thomas Marshall
The story remains, the burden of the rude rhyme of the primer, a text for many a homily of old,—a topic for us now.
The Hearth-Stone|Samuel Osgood
Well, I did not expect, when you handed me out of my carriage to-day, that I was going to listen to a homily on prudence.
Endymion|Benjamin Disraeli
Smithson Junior (as the homily ends and the real business is about to start): "Please, sir, is it sterilized?"
Mr. Punch's History of Modern England Vol. IV of IV.|Charles L. Graves

British Dictionary definitions for homily

homily

/ (ˈhɒmɪlɪ) /

noun plural -lies

a sermon or discourse on a moral or religious topic

moralizing talk or writing

Derived forms of homily

homilist, noun

Word Origin for homily

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

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

homily

Origin of homily

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH homily

Words nearby homily

Words related to homily

How to use homily in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for homily

Derived forms of homily

Word Origin for homily