Word of the Day : January 18, 2018

homiletic \hah-muh-LET-ik\ adjective

Definition

1 : of, relating to, or resembling a homily

2 : of or relating to the art of preaching; also : preachy

Did You Know?

Homiletic came to us by way of Latin from Greek homilētikos, meaning "affable" or "social." Homilētikos came from homilein, meaning "to talk with," "to address," or "to make a speech," which in turn came from homilos, the Greek word for "crowd" or "assembly." Homilos and homilein also gave English, by way of Latin homilia and French omelie, the word homily, which is used for a short sermon, a lecture on a moral theme, and an inspirational catchphrase or platitude. Like homily, homiletic focuses on the morally instructive nature of a discourse. Homiletic can also be used derogatorily in the sense of "preachy."

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Aired January 18, 2018

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