doxology means an expression of praise to God, especially a short hymn sung as part of a Christian worship service.
doxology is pronounced /dɒkˈsɒlədʒi/.
Why “doxology” is a great word
A short, formal ascription of praise and glory to God, especially as a concluding element of Christian worship. From Medieval Latin *doxologia*, from Ancient Greek δοξολογία (doxología, “a praising”), from δόξα (dóxa, “glory, honor”) and -λογία (-logía, “saying, speaking”); first attested in English in the 1640s. Unlike a “hymn,” a general song of praise, or a “eulogy,” praise for a departed person, a doxology is a precise, liturgical capsule directed solely to the divine. It is the congregational “Glory be to the Father” rising from the pews, the final amen sealing a prayer, the sudden unison of voices after silence—a brief, luminous turning of all discourse back toward its source.
Etymology
From Medieval Latin doxologia, from Ancient Greek δοξολογία (doxología, “a praising”), from δοξολόγος (doxológos, “giving or uttering praise”), from δόξα (dóxa, “glory, honor, repute”), from δοκέω (dokéō, “to think, expect”).
noun
- An expression of praise to God, especially a short hymn sung as part of a Christian worship service.
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