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Synonyms

homily

American  
[hom-uh-lee] / ˈhɒm ə li /

noun

plural

homilies

  1. a sermon, usually on a Biblical topic and usually of a nondoctrinal nature.

  2. an admonitory or moralizing discourse.

  3. an inspirational saying or cliché.

homily British  
/ ˈhɒmɪlɪ /

noun

  1. a sermon or discourse on a moral or religious topic

  2. moralizing talk or writing

"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

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.