liturgy

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: lit=ur=gy

CIDE DICTIONARY

liturgy, n. [F. liturgie, LL. liturgia, Gr. leitoyrgi`a a public service, the public service of God, public worship; (assumed) le`i:tos, lei^tos, belonging to the people, public (fr. lao`s, lew`s, the people) + the root of 'e`rgon work. See Lay, a., and Work.].

 An established formula for public worship, or the entire ritual for public worship in a church which uses prescribed forms; a formulary for public prayer or devotion. In the Roman Catholic Church it includes all forms and services in any language, in any part of the world, for the celebration of Mass.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

liturgy, n. (pl. -ies)
1 a a form of public worship. b a set of formularies for this. c public worship in accordance with a prescribed form.
2 (the Liturgy) the Book of Common Prayer.
3 the Communion office of the Orthodox Church.
4 Gk Antiq. a public office or duty performed voluntarily by a rich Athenian.

Etymology

F liturgie or LL liturgia f. Gk leitourgia public worship f. leitourgos minister f. leit- public + ergon work

THESAURUS

liturgy

Mass, baccalaureate service, bedtime prayer, camp meeting, celebration, ceremonial, ceremony, church, church service, commencement, compline, convocation, devotions, divine service, duty, empty formality, evening devotions, evensong, exercise, exercises, form, form of worship, formal, formality, formula, formulary, function, graduation, graduation exercises, holy rite, inaugural, inauguration, initiation, institution, lauds, matins, meeting, mode of worship, morning devotions, mummery, mystery, night song, none, nones, novena, observance, office, order of worship, ordinance, performance, practice, praise meeting, prayer, prayer meeting, prayers, prescribed form, prime, prime song, public worship, religious ceremony, revival, revival meeting, rite, rite de passage, rite of passage, ritual, ritual observance, rituality, sacrament, sacramental, service, sext, solemnity, solemnization, tent meeting, tierce, undersong, vesper, vespers, vigils, watch meeting, watch night, watch-night service

ROGET THESAURUS

liturgy

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?.