homily
Americannoun
plural
homilies-
a sermon, usually on a Biblical topic and usually of a nondoctrinal nature.
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an admonitory or moralizing discourse.
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an inspirational saying or cliché.
noun
-
a sermon or discourse on a moral or religious topic
-
moralizing talk or writing
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
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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.
Pope Leo XIV on Thursday condemned the "rubble and open wounds" left behind by wars, singling out the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza as he conducted his first Christmas homily.
From Barron's
Leo stuck to a very religious homily without any direct reference to current affairs.
From Barron's
To an ordinary viewer, everything about this film is disappointing—the dull jokes, the stupid plot, the canned homilies, the silly and unworkable policy proposals.
As I listened, it dawned on me that the melody was “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” a subtle but welcome jab at an overheated homily.
Gradually Mr. Berry’s writing has become pared back and reflective, almost akin to homilies that use the examples of the past to contemplate an uncertain future.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
