novena
Americannoun
-
novenae,
plural
-
novenas
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of novena
1850–55; < Medieval Latin novēna, noun use of feminine singular of Latin novēnus nine each
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:
But she thought of this daily ritual as a kind of novena: a prayer repeated for nine days to appeal a misfortune or request a special favor.
From New York Times ● Dec. 10, 2023
The specifics of the novena differ across parishes; the one at Our Lady of Grace includes prayers for attributes such as faith, hope, charity, piety, justice and fortitude.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 14, 2022
Sometimes I post a prayer, like the Christmas novena, which my mother-in-law always said at the table on Christmas Eve.
From Fox News ● Dec. 12, 2021
At St. Patrick, parishioners set aside a time every day for a novena prayer.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 7, 2021
This wasn’t the miracle from God that she’d been praying for with her novena.
From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles
I was raised Catholic, and made to navigate the weirdness of First Holy Communion, novenas and trips to the shrine at Knock.
From New York Times ● Jul. 27, 2023
Some started novenas, or nine-day prayers, and encouraged family and friends to join in.
From Seattle Times ● May 6, 2022
Pueblo medicine men filled the rooms of the sick with smoke, and Hispanic villagers crowded around the dying, saying the rosary and praying novenas.
From Washington Times ● Mar. 24, 2020
The prayer cycles of "novenas" are over nine days.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2017
At Mass, Benediction, novenas, we huddled in great damp clumps, dozing through priest drone, while steam rose again from our clothes to mingle with the sweetness of incense, flowers and candles.
From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt
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