homily

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hom·i·ly / ˈhäməlē/ • n. (pl. -lies) a religious discourse that is intended primarily for spiritual edification rather than doctrinal instruction; a sermon. ∎  a tedious moralizing discourse: she delivered her homily about the need for patience.DERIVATIVES: hom·i·list / -list/ n.ORIGIN: late Middle English: via Old French from ecclesiastical Latin homilia, from Greek, ‘discourse, conversation’ (in ecclesiastical use, ‘sermon’), from homilos ‘crowd.’

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