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hymnody

American  
[him-nuh-dee] / ˈhɪm nə di /

noun

  1. the singing or the composition of hymns or sacred songs.

  2. hymns collectively, especially the collective hymns of a specific religion, place, or period.


hymnody British  
/ ˈhɪmnədɪ /

noun

  1. the composition or singing of hymns

  2. hymns collectively

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of hymnody

1705–15; < Medieval Latin hymnōdia < Greek hymnōidía chanting of a hymn, equivalent to hýmn ( os ) hymn + ōidía singing ( aoid- sing ( see ode) + -ia -ia )

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:

From spirituals to hymnody, and traditional Black gospel to the contemporary; the music of the Black church has always heralded the messages of its people, and its seasons of struggles and triumphs.

From Washington Post Sep. 9, 2021

“Partita for 8 Voices” is a pattern book of vocal styles: its movements are stitched together from plainchant, percussive breathing, Early American hymnody, and half a dozen other techniques.

From The New Yorker Feb. 4, 2019

This course will examine some of our best-loved hymn texts and look at the broader tradition of western hymnody.

From Washington Post Mar. 10, 2017

Opening with deep, grave heartbeat pulsations that recurred at intervals, he rifled through the instrument’s registrations, evoking Bach and Messiaen, horror-movie soundtracks and pan-spiritual hymnody.

From New York Times Dec. 11, 2011

This marked the beginning of evangelical hymnody in Sweden.

From The Story of Our Hymns by Ernest Edwin Ryden

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