homily

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: hom=i=ly

CIDE DICTIONARY

homily, n. [LL. homilia, Gr. communion, assembly, converse, sermon, fr. an assembly, fr. same; cf. together, and crowd, cf. to press: cf. F. homélie. See Same.].

•  A discourse or sermon read or pronounced to an audience; a serious discourse.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]
•  A serious or tedious exhortation in private on some moral point, or on the conduct of life.  [1913 Webster]

  "As I have heard my father
  Deal out in his long homilies."  [1913 Webster]

Book of Homilies. A collection of authorized, printed sermons, to be read by ministers in churches, esp. one issued in the time of Edward VI., and a second, issued in the reign of Elizabeth; -- both books being certified to contain a “godly and wholesome doctrine.”

OXFORD DICTIONARY

homily, n. (pl. -ies)
1 a sermon.
2 a tedious moralizing discourse.

Derivative

homilist n.

Etymology

ME f. OF omelie f. eccl.L homilia f. Gk homilia f. homilos crowd

THESAURUS

homily

article, assignment, causerie, chalk talk, descant, discourse, discussion, disquisition, dissertation, essay, etude, examination, excursus, exercise, exposition, feature, first approach, harangue, homework, instruction, introductory study, lecture, lecture-demonstration, lesson, lucubration, memoir, monograph, moral, moral lesson, morality, moralization, morceau, note, object lesson, outline, pandect, paper, paragraph, piece, preachification, preaching, preachment, prelection, preliminary study, prolegomenon, recital, recitation, religious discourse, research paper, screed, sermon, sermonette, set task, sketch, skull session, special article, study, survey, talk, task, teaching, term paper, theme, thesis, tract, tractate, travelogue, treatise, treatment

ROGET THESAURUS

homily

Dissertation

N dissertation, treatise, essay, thesis, theme, monograph, tract, tractate, tractation, discourse, memoir, disquisition, lecture, sermon, homily, pandect, excursus, commentary, review, critique, criticism, article, leader, leading article, editorial, running commentary, investigation, study, discussion, exposition, commentator, critic, essayist, pamphleteer, discursive, discoursive, disquisitionary, expository.

Rite

N rite, ceremony, ritual, liturgy, ceremonial, ordinance, observance, function, duty, form, formulary, solemnity, sacrament, incantation, service, psalmody, ministration, preaching, preachment, predication, sermon, homily, lecture, discourse, pastoral, baptism, christening, chrism, circumcision, baptismal regeneration, font, confirmation, imposition of hands, laying on of hands, ordination, excommunication, Bar Mitzvah, Bas Mitzvah, Bris, Eucharist, Lord's supper, communion, the sacrament, the holy sacrament, celebration, high celebration, missa cantata, asperges, offertory, introit, consecration, consubstantiation, transubstantiation, real presence, elements, mass, high mass, low mass, dry mass, matrimony, burial, visitation of the sick, seven sacraments, impanation, subpanation, extreme unction, viaticum, invocation of saints, canonization, transfiguration, auricular confession, maceration, flagellation, sackcloth and ashes, penance, telling of beads, processional, thurification, incense, holy water, aspersion, relics, rosary, beads, reliquary, host, cross, rood, crucifix, pax, pyx, agnus Dei, censer, thurible, patera, eileton, Holy Grail, prayer machine, prayer wheel, Sangraal, urceus, ritualism, ceremonialism, sabbatism, sabbatarianism, ritualist, sabbatarian, holyday, feast, fast, Sabbath, Pentecost, Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Passion week, Holy week, Easter, Easter Sunday, Whitsuntide, agape, Ascension Day, Candlemas, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, Holy Thursday, Lammas, Martinmas, Michaelmas, All SAint's DAy, All Souls' Day, Ramadan, Ramazan, Bairam Passover, Shabuoth, Yom Kippur, Day of Atonement, Rosh Hashana, New Year, Hanukkah, Chanukkah, Feast of Lights, Purim, Feast of lots, ritual, ritualistic, ceremonial, baptismal, eucharistical, paschal, what art thou, thou idol ceremony?.