How to Use homily in a Sentence

homily

noun
Definition of homilynext
Synonyms for homilynext
  • The priest gave a brief homily on forgiveness.
  • We had to listen to another one of his homilies about the value of public service.
  • Then the priest stepped down from the altar to give his homily, in Portuguese.
    — Elizabeth Barber, The New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2020
  • Today, the opera can feel a little prim, like a homily.
    — Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 27 July 2023
  • Yet, one of the most poignant moments came during the wedding homily.
    — Candice Benbow, Glamour, 19 May 2018
  • Princess Beatrice read a passage from the book, and it was mentioned in the Dean of Windsor’s homily.
    — Elise Taylor, Vogue, 12 Oct. 2018
  • But, instead of giving the crowd a homily to hold, Deion shifted gears.
    — Tyler R. Tynes, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2023
  • There’s another twist here, maybe not so much an irony as a homily.
    — Joe Morgenstern, WSJ, 17 Dec. 2018
  • In his homily, Francis kept hitting a theme that resonates to this day, doesn’t it?
    — Kathryn Jean Lopez, National Review, 14 Dec. 2020
  • In his homily, Francis sought to spur Catholics to be renewed by Easter.
    — Frances D'emilio, ajc, 8 Apr. 2023
  • In his homily, the bishop compliments the lay group on all their hard work, but also signals how steep the climb may still be ahead of them.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 9 Oct. 2019
  • Fortunes were made, books were sold by the ton, and homilies were delivered.
    — Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, 20 Oct. 2017
  • In his homily, Francis said Easter offers a message of hope and new starts.
    — Nicole Winfield, Star Tribune, 3 Apr. 2021
  • In someone else's hands, such an observation might feel like an off-the-shelf homily.
    — Kerry Reid, chicagotribune.com, 19 May 2017
  • During his homily, Francis said Lent was a time to take stock and rediscover a path to God.
    — Nicole Winfield, Star Tribune, 17 Feb. 2021
  • The musical strips out all the grit, replacing it with puerile moral homilies.
    — Tirdad Derakhshani, Philly.com, 4 Oct. 2017
  • On Christmas Day, in every church the world over, whether a cathedral or the shell of an ancient chapel in Iraq, congregants will sit down to hear a homily on hope.
    — Daniel Henninger, WSJ, 21 Dec. 2016
  • The service ended with a homily from Father Steve Angi.
    — Madeline Mitchell, The Enquirer, 31 Oct. 2020
  • According to the lawsuit, the Hullibargers hadn't publicly disclosed their son's cause of death, and LaCuesta's homily was the first time that friends and classmates had learned of it.
    — Alex Johnson, NBC News, 20 Nov. 2019
  • The homily of victory is a staple of the Patriots culture.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 6 Oct. 2019
  • Except that Catholic canon law requires an ordained deacon or priest to say the homily at Mass, and women can be neither.
    — Kate Brady, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2023
  • Santos, delivering his homily in Spanish, asked for prayers for peace, love, and for God.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 5 Aug. 2019
  • Asare-Dankwah officiated the funeral and, during his homily, made remarks about the plaintiff, who hadn’t seen the priest in more than a decade, the suit claims.
    — Ramon Antonio Vargas | Staff Writer, NOLA.com, 27 Jan. 2021
  • An inspirational pop song will play just before something goes wrong, and a homily will be followed by a rude joke.
    — Robert Lloyd, latimes.com, 7 Mar. 2018
  • Mrs Merkel, for all her homilies about the state living within its means, is unlikely to resist.
    — The Economist, 14 Nov. 2019
  • In his homilies, or sermons, over the years, Curlin spoke often about his close friendship with Mother Teresa.
    — Tim Funk, charlotteobserver, 24 Dec. 2017
  • Richard Samide, who celebrated the Mass, said during his homily.
    — Jack Rooney, Cincinnati.com, 3 Jan. 2020
  • When the other performers would break out a bottle in the back of the bus, Mr. Emerson would chastise them with biblical homilies.
    — Terence McArdle, Washington Post, 2 May 2023
  • In his main homily Saturday, the Rt. Rev. Welby used the nouns service and servant liberally, not just as found in the liturgy.
    — Guy Martin, Forbes, 6 May 2023
  • Along with a sense of accomplishment, Schultz said his 99 triathlons have provided him with more than a few subjects for homilies.
    — Steve Sadin, chicagotribune.com, 11 July 2018

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'homily.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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