doxology
Americannoun
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a hymn or form of words containing an ascription of praise to God.
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the Doxology, the metrical formula beginning “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.”
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of doxology
1640–50; < Medieval Latin doxologia < Greek, equivalent to doxo- (combining form of dóxa honor, glory) + -logia -logy
Explanation
You're most likely to hear a doxology in a Christian church, since it's a short religious verse or prayer that is sung. The brief chant or song that comes at the end of a prayer in a Catholic church is one kind of doxology. In the Lord's Prayer, which is common in many different Christian churches, the final line ending in "forever and ever, amen," was added on to the original ancient Biblical manuscripts and is considered a doxology. The word comes from the Greek doxologia, "praise or glory," a combination of doxa, "glory," and logos, "a speaking."
Vocabulary lists containing doxology
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:
Together, they are trying to understand why the doxology, always sung “in one way and one way only” suddenly has been “pepped up” with an energetic organ accompaniment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2025
The nondenominational New Life Church in Colorado Springs, for example, which has hosted prosperity-gospel preachers, was, in pre-pandemic times, concluding some of its services with an Anglican hymn to the Trinity known as a doxology.
From New York Times ● May 8, 2020
Photograph: Screenshot Pope Francis sings the doxology: “Through him and with him and in him”.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 20, 2015
BST09:52 Pope Francis sings the doxology: “Through him and with him and in him”.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 20, 2015
Creation is enjoined to praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost, in the form of a doxology.
From Christian Hymns of the First Three Centuries by Messenger, Ruth Ellis
The Convention was opened and closed with prayers and Christian doxologies.
From History of American Socialisms by Noyes, John Humphrey
To give a history of doxologies in the general sense of the word would carry one through every Christian age and language and end with a concordance of the Book of Psalms.
From The Story of the Hymns and Tunes by Brown, Theron
After the hymns follow thirty-eight doxologies, the editor having added to the short list of common ones others which are fine enough to become standard at once.
From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 13, No. 80, June, 1864 by Various
This is one of the oldest doxologies of the Church; in substance, at least, it is as old as the 4th century.
From The Church Handy Dictionary by Anonymous
Both the doxologies have a place in the Church of England liturgy, the latter being repeated after every psalm, and the former used in the communion service.
From The New Gresham Encyclopedia Volume 4, Part 1: Deposition to Eberswalde by Various
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.
