offertory
Americannoun
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offertories
plural
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(sometimes initial capital letter) the offering of the unconsecrated elements that is made to God by the celebrant in a Eucharistic service.
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Ecclesiastical.
noun
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the oblation of the bread and wine at the Eucharist
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the offerings of the worshippers at this service
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the prayers said or sung while the worshippers' offerings are being received
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of offertory
1350–1400; Middle English offertorie < Medieval Latin offertōrium place to which offerings are brought, offering, oblation, equivalent to Latin offer ( re ) ( see offer) + -tōrium -tory 2; cf. oblation
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:
As the priest then began the offertory portion of the liturgy, which often is accompanied by quiet music, the organist played a reflective piece very slowly.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 24, 2025
Whidden, a tenor, sang an offertory song titled “The Anchor Holds.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 12, 2025
Documents filed with the bankruptcy court on Thursday show that COVID-19 and social distancing restrictions led to smaller offertory collections at the 135 parishes on Long Island since March.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 1, 2020
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales also says there should be no offertory procession or collection, and parishioners should be encouraged to give online instead.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2020
I watched them as they came up for offertory.
From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
His church music, consisting of six masses, many offertories, and the great "Hallelujah" of Klopstock, is still performed in Germany.
From The Great German Composers by George T. (George Titus) Ferris
Even in the eighteenth century, church offertories in England were asked and given to loose captives out of prison.
From The Age of Erasmus Lectures Delivered in the Universities of Oxford and London by P. S. (Percy Stafford) Allen
"I know he can write, for he signed a petition to uncle in favour of more frequent offertories in aid of the poor and needy," George muttered.
From A Drake by George! by John Trevena
The latter seems to have felt a strange fascination towards the eloquent preacher, tried to attach him to his court, was frequent in his attendance at San Marco, and gave largely to his offertories.
From John the Baptist by F. B. (Frederick Brotherton) Meyer
Father Burrowes was even more successful as a preacher than he hoped; ascribing the steady flow of offertories to Divine favour, he instituted during the next four years, priories at Aldershot and Sandgate.
From The Altar Steps by Compton MacKenzie
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.
