Did you know?
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
Geraldo Cadava, New Yorker, 22 May 2025
Homily — Leo delivers his homily in Italian, possibly previewing his vision for the church.
—Nbc News, NBC news, 18 May 2025
Pope Leo began his first homily in English: 📹Watch ; 🔎Read his homily
Cheers at the end of Mass: Children in the Sistine Chapel choir applauded him at the end of Mass.
—Cate Martel, The Hill, 9 May 2025
President Jimmy Carter funeral: Live updates on state funeral for 39th president
Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood sing 'Imagine' to honor Jimmy Carter
Brooks and Yearwood walked onto the cathedral's stage after Reverend Andrew Young delivered a homily.
—Audrey Gibbs, The Tennessean, 2 July 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 6 Aug. 2025.
Copy Citation
Share