homily

[hom-uh-lee] /ˈhɒm ə li/

noun, plural homilies.

a sermon, usually on a Biblical topic and usually of a nondoctrinal nature.

an admonitory or moralizing discourse.

an inspirational saying or cliché.

Origin

1545-55; < Late Latin homīlia < Greek homīlía assembly, sermon, equivalent to hómīl(os) crowd (hom(oû) together + -īlos, masculine combining form of ī́lē (feminine) crowd) + -ia -y³; replacing Middle English omelie < Middle French < Latin, as above

Can be confused

homely, homily.

Examples from the web for homily

In fact, there is a sermon type cadence and ring to this sociopathic homily.
He led them in prayer that drowned out the protesters' cries and gave out a written homily in place of the regular sermon.
Since the audience is made up of people who are themselves sounding off, new media are more of a hubbub than a homily.
As a consequence, more than a simple homily was necessary.
Coins and fertilizer should always be accessible in homily.
There are also several scenes in which one or the other is called upon to deliver a homily for the edification of the other monks.
As the homily goes, the cure for bad speech is more speech.

British Dictionary definitions for homily

homily

/ˈhɒmɪlɪ/

noun (pl) -lies

a sermon or discourse on a moral or religious topic

moralizing talk or writing

Derived Forms

homilist, noun

Word Origin

C14: from Church Latin homīlia, from Greek: discourse, from homilein to converse with, from homilos crowd, from homou together + ilē crowd

Word Origin and History for homily

late 14c., omelye, from Old French omelie (12c., Modern French homélie), from Church Latin homilia "a homily, sermon," from Greek homilia "conversation, discourse," used in New Testament Greek for "sermon," from homilos "an assembled crowd," from homou "together" (from PIE *somo-, from root *sem- (1) "one, as one, together with;" see same) + ile "troop" (cognate with Sanskrit melah "assembly," Latin miles "soldier"). Latinate form restored in English 16c.