liturgy

American  

[lit-er-jee] / ˈlɪt ər dʒi /

noun

plural

liturgies

1. a form of public worship; ritual.

2. a collection of formularies for public worship.

3. a particular arrangement of services.

4. a particular form or type of the Eucharistic service.

5. the service of the Eucharist, especially this service Divine Liturgy in the Eastern Church.

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liturgy British  

/ ˈlɪtədʒɪ /

noun

1. the forms of public services officially prescribed by a Church

2. Also called: Divine Liturgy.  (often capital) Eastern Churches the Eucharistic celebration

3. a particular order or form of public service laid down by a Church

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Other Word Forms

• antiliturgy adjective

Etymology

Origin of liturgy

1550–60; < Late Latin lītūrgia < Greek leitourgía public service, ecclesiastical Greek: Eucharist, equivalent to leitourg ( ós ) minister + -ia -y ³

Example Sentences

Some of the hymns and liturgy were the same as those sung by Anglicans around the world, but there were also differences, like the upbeat worship music that had the congregation dancing in the pews.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026

As we enter the Christmas season, Garcia noted that the Christmas liturgy is an annual reminder that joy is possible even in the darkest times, and that the two often go together.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 8, 2025

The bakery runs on its own kind of liturgy: a punctual 10:30 a.m. batch, and a second that might appear anytime between 4:30 and 6, the sort of unpredictability you start building your afternoon around.

From Salon • Dec. 7, 2025

But this is merely liturgy now, no longer a block to understanding.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

Some churches in Soweto and Pretoria sang freedom songs as part of their liturgy, in open defiance of the authorities.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane

Related Words

• observance
• rite
• ritual