homily

American  

[hom-uh-lee] / ˈhɒm ə li /

noun

plural

homilies

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

2. an admonitory or moralizing discourse.

3. an inspirational saying or cliché.

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homily British  

/ ˈhɒmɪlɪ /

noun

1. a sermon or discourse on a moral or religious topic

2. moralizing talk or writing

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Other Word Forms

• homilist noun

Etymology

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 -y ³; replacing Middle English omelie < Middle French < Latin, as above

Compare meaning

How does homily compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• homily vs. sermon

Explanation

A homily is a sermon or religious speech offering encouragement or moral correction. Isn’t it strange how sometimes, when you're struggling with something, a preacher comes on TV giving a homily on that same problem?! Too bad it happens when you do bad stuff, too. In many churches and lecture halls, a homily is just a short message on a religious topic or moral issue that's meant to encourage those who hear it. Another type of homily, though, is one that's judgmental or condemning. If you hear a homily and feel better afterward, even if it delivers hard truths about right and wrong, you've heard an uplifting homily. One that leaves you mad and frustrated, however, might make you need another homily on forgiveness and self-control.

Example Sentences

He said these words only a couple of days after his Easter homily, in which he warned against the “desire for domination.”

From Slate • Apr. 11, 2026

In his Palm Sunday homily, the Pope said God "does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them."

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Mr. Leiter, who earned orthodox rabbinical ordination, breaks into a homily connecting his son Moshe to the biblical original, Moses.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

In his homily, the pope praised “the fire of charity” that sustains both giver and receiver.

From Salon • Aug. 17, 2025

Bessie supplied the hiatus by a homily of an hour’s length, in which she proved beyond a doubt that I was the most wicked and abandoned child ever reared under a roof.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

Related Words

• lecture