Word
gloria
Phoneticsglo·ria
/ˈɡɫɔɹiə/
Definitions
01a hymn of praise
n. a famous Christian hymn that begins with the words 'Glory to God in the highest'.
n. The 'Gloria in excelsis Deo', a specific hymn of praise used in the liturgy of various Christian denominations.
“The choir sang a beautiful gloria during the Christmas service.”
“The composer's setting of the gloria was particularly moving, featuring a complex interplay between the soprano soloists and the full cathedral choir.”
Formal
Usage
Often capitalized as 'Gloria' when referring to the specific text or musical setting.
Teaching tip
This is a technical term for church music or liturgy; students will mostly encounter it in the context of classical music or religious services.
02a short prayer
n. a short prayer of praise to God used in many church services.
n. A doxology, specifically the 'Gloria Patri', used to conclude psalms or other parts of a religious service.
“The congregation stood to recite the gloria together.”
“In many traditional liturgies, the gloria serves as a brief but essential bridge between the reading of the psalms and the subsequent prayers.”
Formal
Synonyms
Etymology
From Latin gloria (“glory”), first used as a name in 19th-century literature.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
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englishreference.com/q/gloria