litany

American  

[lit-n-ee] / ˈlɪt n i /

noun

plural

litanies

1. a ceremonial or liturgical form of prayer consisting of a series of invocations or supplications with responses that are the same for a number in succession.

2. the Litany, the supplication in this form in the Book of Common Prayer.

3. a recitation or recital that resembles a litany.

4. a prolonged or tedious account.

   We heard the whole litany of their complaints.

   Synonyms:

   enumeration, catalog, list

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litany British  

/ ˈlɪtənɪ /

noun

1. Christianity

   1. a form of prayer consisting of a series of invocations, each followed by an unvarying response

   2. the general supplication in this form included in the Book of Common Prayer

2. any long or tedious speech or recital

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litany Cultural  

1. In many religions, a ritual repetition of prayers. Usually a clergyman or singer chants a prayer, and the congregation makes a response, such as “Lord, have mercy.”

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Etymology

Origin of litany

before 900; < Late Latin litanīa < Late Greek litaneía litany, Greek: an entreating, equivalent to litan- (stem of litaínein, variant of litaneúein to pray) + -eia -y ³; replacing Middle English letanie, Old English letanīa < Medieval Latin, Late Latin, as above

Example Sentences

There’s a point to this litany of chaos.

From Salon • Mar. 25, 2026

“It’s just like a litany of problems,” said Kristen Hughes, another local real-estate broker.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

The largest is Invitation Homes, which owns more than 11,000 homes in the state and has faced a litany of lawsuits related to unpermitted renovations, unfair eviction practices and withheld security deposits.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026

Organisers of a major KPop tribute concert at a Belfast arena have defended the show after a litany of complaints over the quality of the performances.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026

The second I finish, she leaves the room, snatching her weapons from the wall, not bothering to give me her usual litany of orders.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

Related Words

• catalogue
• recitation
• repetition