Word of the Day

: July 17, 2023

homily

noun HAH-muh-lee

What It Means

A homily is a usually short talk on a religious or moral topic. Homily may also refer to an inspirational catchphrase, or to a trite or stale remark.

// The calendar features serene photographs captioned by inspirational proverbs and homilies.

// We had to listen to another one of his homilies about the value of public service.

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homily in Context

"His rich baritone voice and charismatic delivery have labeled him a distinguished motivational speaker and preacher who delivers homilies on topics regarding hope, forgiveness, faith, prosperity, relationships, and other pertinent issues involving the human condition." — Yolanda Baruch, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2023

Did You Know?

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).