offertory

noun

of·fer·to·ry | \ ˈȯ-fər-ˌtȯr-ē

How to pronounce offertory (audio)

, ˈȯ-fə-, ˈä-\

plural offertories

Definition of offertory

1 often capitalized

a : the eucharistic offering of bread and wine to God before they are consecrated

b : a verse from a Psalm said or sung at the beginning of the offertory

2a : the period of collection and presentation of the offerings of the congregation at public worship

b : a musical composition played or sung during an offertory

Examples of offertory in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Stanley also served as an offertory collector during weekly Mass for many years. — courant.com, "Stanley W. Lesinski," 17 May 2018 But when the Communion plates were passed, Trump mistook the silver plates for the offertory, digging out several bills from his pocket, according to the Associated Press. — Charles P. Pierce, Esquire, "The Only Guy Who Predicted 2016 Did It in 380 B.C.," 30 Dec. 2016

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

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Dictionary Entries near offertory

offer no apology for

offer resistance

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Time Traveler for offertory

The first known use of offertory was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for offertory

offertory

noun

English Language Learners Definition of offertory

: the offering of bread and wine to God as part of the Communion ceremony during a Christian church service

: a verse from a psalm that is said or sung at the beginning of the Offertory

: the part of a Christian church service during which offerings of money are collected

See the full definition for offertory in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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