Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Jump To:
  • Te Deum
    Te Deum
    noun
    an ancient Latin hymn of praise to God, in the form of a psalm, sung regularly at matins in the Roman Catholic Church and, usually, in an English translation, at Morning Prayer in the Anglican Church, as well as on special occasions as a service of thanksgiving.
  • “Te Deum”
    “Te Deum”
    A hymn of praise to God, with words taken largely from the Bible (see also Bible), that is used by many groups of Christians (see also Christian). The “Te Deum” has been set to music by George Frederick Handel and by many other composers for performance in worship services of thanksgiving (after a victory in war, for example). The Latin words Te Deum laudamus mean “Thee, God, we praise.”

Te Deum

American  
[tay day-oom, -uhm, tee dee-uhm] / teɪ ˈdeɪ ʊm, -əm, ti ˈdi əm /

noun

  1. (italics) an ancient Latin hymn of praise to God, in the form of a psalm, sung regularly at matins in the Roman Catholic Church and, usually, in an English translation, at Morning Prayer in the Anglican Church, as well as on special occasions as a service of thanksgiving.

  2. a musical setting of this hymn.

  3. a service of thanksgiving in which this hymn forms a prominent part.


Te Deum British  
/ ˌtiː ˈdiːəm /

noun

  1. an ancient Latin hymn in rhythmic prose, sung or recited at matins in the Roman Catholic Church and in English translation at morning prayer in the Church of England and used by both Churches as an expression of thanksgiving on special occasions

  2. a musical setting of this hymn

  3. a service of thanksgiving in which the recital of this hymn forms a central part

"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

Te Deum 1 Cultural  
  1. A hymn of praise to God, containing many passages from the Bible (see also Bible), that is used in the Anglican Communion, the Lutheran Church, and the Roman Catholic Church as part of morning prayers on festive occasions. It begins, “Te Deum laudamus,” meaning, “We praise thee, O God.”


“Te Deum” 2 Cultural  
  1. A hymn of praise to God, with words taken largely from the Bible (see also Bible), that is used by many groups of Christians (see also Christian). The “Te Deum” has been set to music by George Frederick Handel and by many other composers for performance in worship services of thanksgiving (after a victory in war, for example). The Latin words Te Deum laudamus mean “Thee, God, we praise.”


Etymology

Origin of Te Deum

< Late Latin, first two words of the hymn, which begins: Tē Deum laudāmus we praise thee God


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:

The pandemic loomed large at the service, with a cap of several hundred on the number of people allowed into St. Peter's Basilica for the traditional year-end thanksgiving service known as the "Te Deum".

From Reuters ● Dec. 31, 2021

The choir sang William Walton's setting of Te Deum Laudamus, composed for the Coronation, as the Queen's procession left the abbey.

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2013

Bruckner said that when it was time to meet his maker, he would “show him the score of my Te Deum, and he may judge me accordingly.”

From New York Times ● Feb. 5, 2012

The same composer's Te Deum, before the interval, had initially had different balance issues: the string players' arms were definitely moving, but we could barely hear them over the timpani.

From The Guardian ● Oct. 13, 2010

Blanca assumed that it would occur to no one to think that Pedro Tercero Garcia was in Senator Trueba’s house at the very moment when the senator was attending the Te Deum in the cathedral.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende

The contemporary composer Arvo Pärt’s “Te Deum” is the other extreme, a mystical rendering of a Christian hymn accompanied by samples of a wind harp’s low drone.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 6, 2022

Lully stabbed himself in the toe with his own invention while conducting the “Te Deum” and consequently died of gangrene: “High-handedness is what / The mass holds dear, but poets love / Your sacrificial foot.”

From New York Times ● Jun. 24, 2020

A “Te Deum” and one of the Coronation Anthems, “The King shall rejoice,” are festive and brilliant, but Caroline’s funeral anthem, “The ways of Zion do mourn,” is exquisite, somber, burning with sadness.

From New York Times ● Mar. 19, 2015

Their chilly relations became crystal clear after the Kirchners several years ago stopped attending the church’s annual “Te Deum” address challenging society to do better, which is delivered each May 25.

From Salon ● Mar. 18, 2013

After the “Te Deum” had been sung, the celebrant, accompanied by his attendants, censed the crèche, to the sound of violins, double-basses, and other instruments.

From Christmas in Ritual and Tradition, Christian and Pagan by Clement A. Miles

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember new words for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com