benediction

noun bene·dic·tion \ ˌbe-nə-ˈdik-shən \

|Updated on: 18 Jun 2018

Examples: benediction in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of benediction

1 religion : the invocation (see invocation 1a) of a blessing

a prayer of benediction

; especially : the short blessing with which public worship is concluded

dismissed the congregation with a benediction

2 : something that promotes goodness or well-being

… the Mexican sun is no pleasant benediction like our northern sun …
—Gertrude Diamant

3 often capitalized, Christianity : a Roman Catholic or Anglo-Catholic devotion (see devotion 1c) including the exposition of the eucharistic Host in the monstrance and the blessing of the people with it

4 : an expression of good wishes

… yearning for the benediction of the New York critics …
—Time

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Examples of benediction in a Sentence

He dismissed the congregation with a benediction.
the priest offered a benediction for the missing children

Recent Examples of benediction from the Web

And the culminating Sunday-night set by Mavis Staples, Chicago's undisputed queen of soul and gospel, should provide sufficient benediction for even the crankiest critic.

— david whiteis, Chicago Reader, "The Reader’s guide to the 2018 Chicago Blues Festival," 5 June 2018
George Martin, the Legion post assistant chaplain, closed the ceremony with the benediction.

— david anderson, The Aegis, "APG commander honors fallen military, police at Aberdeen Memorial Day ceremony," 29 May 2018
Yet many of the images, served up as an abstract dreamscape during the film’s latter stretches, amount to a benediction.

— joe morgenstern, WSJ, "‘Mountain’ Review: Such Great Heights," 24 May 2018
Pastor John Hagee, the founder of Christians United for Israel, will deliver the benediction at the ceremony, a spokesman for his organization confirmed to CNN.

— matt korade, CNN, "Controversial US pastors to take part in embassy opening in Jerusalem," 13 May 2018
My next guest will be delivering the benediction at the embassy Jerusalem on Monday.

— Fox News, "Senator Lindsey Graham on Trump's foreign policy pushes," 12 May 2018
Despite the benedictions, the ship’s maiden voyage has gotten off to a rather inauspicious start.

— amy b wang, Washington Post, "The Navy built a ‘fast, agile’ warship for $440M. It’s been stuck in ice since Christmas Eve.," 22 Jan. 2018
Even the monstrous Roy Cohn gets a (heavily qualified) benediction.

— wendy smith, miamiherald, "A full-bodied portrait of ‘Angels in America,’ a play redefined what theater could be | Miami Herald," 22 Feb. 2018
His 1955 studio portrait of her — Joan of Arc haircut, hand raised in self-amused benediction — is the show’s earliest picture and a true beauty.

— holland cotter, New York Times, "He Made Them Glow: A Maverick’s Portraits Live On," 8 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'benediction.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

In benediction, the bene root is joined by another Latin root, dictio, "speaking", so the word's meaning becomes something like "well-wishing". Perhaps the best-known benediction is the so-called Aaronic Benediction from the Bible, which begins, "May the Lord bless you and keep you". An important section of the Catholic Mass was traditionally known as the Benedictus, after its first word (meaning "blessed"). It was St. Benedict who organized the first Christian monasteries; many Christians have been baptized Benedict in his honor, and 16 popes have taken it as their papal name.

Origin and Etymology of benediction

Middle English benediccioun, from Late Latin benediction-, benedictio, from benedicere to bless, from Latin, to speak well of, from bene well (akin to Latin bonus good) + dicere to say — more at bounty, diction

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year