psalm

American  

[sahm] / sɑm /

noun

• psalms
  plural

1. a sacred song or hymn.

2. (initial capital letter) any of the songs, hymns, or prayers contained in the Book of Psalms.

3. a metric version or paraphrase of any of these.

4. a poem of a similar nature.

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psalm British  

/ sɑːm /

noun

1. (often capital) any of the 150 sacred songs, lyric poems, and prayers that together constitute a book (Psalms) of the Old Testament

2. a musical setting of one of these poems

3. any sacred song or hymn

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• psalmic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• psalms
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of psalm

before 900; Middle English psalm ( e ), s ( e ) alm ( e ), psame, Old English ps ( e ) alm, sealm < Late Latin psalmus < Greek psalmós song sung to the harp, originally, a plucking, as of strings, akin to psállein to pluck, pull, play (the harp)

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Explanation

A psalm is a religious song in the Bible. While you can read psalms as prayers, they are meant to be sung. The Book of Psalms is a section of the Christian Old Testament and the Hebrew Bible that includes 150 individual psalms. The word psalm, which is pronounced with a silent p, comes from the Greek word psalmos, "song sung to a harp," and its root, psallein, "play a stringed instrument." While they're not often backed by a harp these days, psalms are frequently sung with musical accompaniment in churches and temples.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

psalm psalms

Green, of Carmarthen in west Wales, held what was described in court as a "large sign" displaying the psalm text "For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb".

From BBC ● Feb. 1, 2024

It arrived as the music of dire necessity, the work song, the psalm, and was subsequently used to distract and entertain captors, or to scare them off with screams and moans they couldn’t decipher.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 1, 2023

“O Lord, how manifold are thy works!,” cried out David in his psalm.

From Salon ● Oct. 22, 2023

Just as May’s coronation ceremony gave nods to the multicultural nature of Britain today, Wednesday’s church service will include a psalm sung in Gaelic.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 4, 2023

On the gate I read words from a psalm: My flesh also shall rest in hope.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein

During a return trip to Pokrovskoe he set up a chapel in the cellar of his stable, attracting pilgrims to pray and sing psalms with him.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026

Volunteers, once hard to find, have been packing donations, gathering daily to recite psalms and fundraising for Israel - “coming together like you would for your family.”

From Washington Times ● Dec. 6, 2023

Inside St Giles', a 1,700-strong congregation gave voice to psalms which had been sung at the coronations of Charles I at Holyrood in 1633 and of Charles II at Scone in 1651.

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2023

About a dozen people stood in a circle, bowing their heads while a minister read psalms.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2022

Try as she would, Liza could not make him substitute psalms for the picturesque vocabulary of his youth.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

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Related Words

• hymn
• verse

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