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Definition of homily

homily

/ˈhɑː.mə.li/
hom · i · ly
Adverb:homiletically
•
Plural:homilies
•
Adjective:homiletic
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homily Lexical Profile

homily Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A religious discourse or sermon delivered during a church service, especially one offering practical spiritual or moral guidance based on a scriptural reading.

Example

"The parish priest delivered a moving homily on compassion and forgiveness following the Gospel reading."

2

A tedious, sanctimonious, or moralizing lecture or platitude.

Example

"Instead of offering practical financial advice, my uncle launched into a tiresome homily about the virtues of thrift."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for homily

• Rhymes for homily

• Nearby Words

homicidally
homicide
homie
homily
hominess
homing
hominid

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed via Old French homelie and Late Latin homilia from Ancient Greek homilia ('conversation, instruction, discourse'), derived from homilos ('crowd, assembly'), from homos ('same') and ile ('company, troop').

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Homily. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/homily
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