homily
Americannoun
plural
homilies-
a sermon, usually on a Biblical topic and usually of a nondoctrinal nature.
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an admonitory or moralizing discourse.
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an inspirational saying or cliché.
noun
-
a sermon or discourse on a moral or religious topic
-
moralizing talk or writing
Other Word Forms
- homilist noun
Etymology
Origin of homily
1545–55; < Late Latin homīlia < Greek homīlía assembly, sermon, equivalent to hómīl ( os ) crowd ( hom ( oû ) together + -īlos, masculine combining form of ī́lē (feminine) crowd) + -ia -y 3; replacing Middle English omelie < Middle French < Latin, as above
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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.