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Homily Has Greek Roots
Gather round for a succinct history of homily. The story starts with the ancient Greek word homilos, meaning "crowd" or "assembly," and travels through related Greek words homilein, "to address," and homilia, "conversation, discourse." Homilia eventually takes on the "usually short sermon" meaning in our modern homily, and then is incorporated into the Latin used by writers of the early first millennium. It reaches English speakers of the 14th century by way of Anglo-French, but when it arrives it's spelled omelie. By the mid-16th century the "h" is back, and the "y" of the modern spelling has found its place. A side note to our tale is this: be careful not to confuse homily with hominy, a 17th century word of Virginia Algonquian origin denoting a key ingredient in the Mexican soup posole (which, if we may be so corny, is a dish worth preaching about).
Examples of homily in a Sentence
Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 9 May 2025
The coming days are for celebration; Leo’s name will be uttered in homilies and Masses across the Roman Catholic world, and will spark particularly joyous scenes in his home country, where one in five adults identifies as Catholic.
—Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 8 May 2025
In homilies, public and private conversations, and most of all in remarks to their fellow cardinals in daily meetings behind the Vatican walls, the people who will choose the next pope have been holding what amounts to a referendum on Francis’ legacy.
—Jason Horowitz, New York Times, 7 May 2025
Popes frequently use Latin in official Church documents and prayers but also deliver speeches and homilies in various languages to address diverse audiences.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for homily
Cite this Entry
“Homily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homily. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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