Standard Lemma guide

homily

adv · noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: /ˈhoʊmɪli/
  • General-American: /ˈhoʊməli/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈhɒmɪli/
  • Canada, General-American: /ˈhɑməli/
  • Canada, General-American: /ˈhɑmɪli/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: HH AA1 M AH0 L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

In a homey manner.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A sermon, especially concerning a practical matter.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: Christianity

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A moralizing lecture.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A platitude.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

a sermon on a moral or religious topic

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: preachment

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: sermon, discourse, preaching

History

Etymology

From Middle English omelī, omelīe, omelye, from Old French omelie and directly from Late Latin homīlia (“homily”), from Ancient Greek ὁμῑλίᾱ (homīlíā, “homily; instruction”), from ὅμῑλος (hómīlos, “crowd, throng”) + -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā, suffix forming abstract feminine nouns). ὅμῑλος is derived from ὁμός (homós, “common; same”) + ῑ̓́λη (ī́lē, “crowd”) (from εἴλω (eílō, “to aggregate”)).

Across languages

Translations

30 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: քարոզ (kʻaroz) — sermon
  • Bulgarian: проповед (propoved) — sermon
  • Chinese Mandarin: 證道 /证道 (zhèngdào) — sermon
  • Czech: kázání — sermon
  • Czech: homilie — sermon
  • Esperanto: prediko — sermon
  • Finnish: saarna — sermon
  • French: homélie — sermon
  • German: Homilie — sermon
  • Greek: ομιλία (omilía) — sermon
  • Greek: κήρυγμα (kírygma) — sermon
  • Ido: homilio — sermon
  • Indonesian: homili — sermon
  • Italian: omelia — sermon
  • Latin: homilia — sermon
  • Macedonian: про́повед (própoved) — sermon
  • Polish: homilia — sermon
  • Portuguese: homília — sermon
  • Russian: про́поведь (própovedʹ) — sermon
  • Scottish Gaelic: searmon — sermon
  • Spanish: homilía — sermon
  • Swedish: homilia — sermon
  • Ottoman Turkish: وعظ (vaʼz) — sermon
  • Bulgarian: поучение (poučenie) — moralizing lecture
  • Bulgarian: морал (moral) — moralizing lecture
  • Chinese Mandarin: 說教 /说教 (shuōjiào) — moralizing lecture
  • Esperanto: prediko — moralizing lecture
  • Macedonian: по́ука (póuka) — moralizing lecture
  • Russian: поуче́ние (poučénije) — moralizing lecture
  • Russian: наставле́ние (nastavlénije) — moralizing lecture