Herman Wouk
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A Short History of Litany
How do we love the word litany? Let us count the ways. We love its original 13th century meaning, still in use today, referring to a call-and-response prayer in which a series of lines are spoken alternately by a leader and a congregation. We love how litany has developed in the intervening centuries three figurative senses, and we love each of these as well: first, a sense meaning “repetitive chant”; next, the “lengthy recitation” sense owing to the repetitious—and sometimes interminable—nature of the original litany; and finally, an even broader sense referring to any sizeable series or set. Though litanies of this third sort tend to be unpleasant, we choose today to think of the loveliness found in the idea of “a litany of sonnets by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.”
Examples of litany in a Sentence
Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Moldova has faced a litany of crises that have at times raised fears the country is also in Russia’s crosshairs.
—ABC News, 16 May 2026
The band recorded three more full-length albums, along with a litany of singles and EPs, and graduated from basements to traditional venues not just in Chicago, but all over the world.
—Blair R. Fischer, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
The pizza chain offers a litany of pies, ranging from cup-and-char pepperoni and Texas Barbecue to All-In Stuffed Crust and Spanish Garlic Chicken.
—Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for litany
Cite this Entry
“Litany.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/litany. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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litany
noun
