liturgy
- 01 C2 Proficiency
the fixed set of words and actions used in a religious ceremony.
a prescribed body of rituals or ceremonies for public worship, especially in a Christian context.
Simple“The church followed a traditional liturgy that had not changed for centuries.”
In context“The bishop emphasized that the beauty of the liturgy lies in its ability to connect modern believers with ancient traditions through shared prayer.”
UsageOften used with the definite article 'the' when referring to a specific tradition's set of rites.
- 02 C2 Proficiency
a formal religious service, especially in the Orthodox or Catholic church.
a specific instance of public worship or a formal service of the Eucharist.
Simple“We attended the morning liturgy at the cathedral during our trip to Greece.”
In context“The Divine Liturgy was celebrated with great solemnity, featuring choral music that resonated throughout the vaulted nave.”
UsageCommonly capitalized as 'Divine Liturgy' in Eastern Orthodox contexts.
- 03 C2 Proficiency
in Ancient Greece, a job or project that a rich person paid for to help the city.
a public office or duty which the richest citizens discharged at their own expense in ancient Greek states.
Simple“The wealthy merchant funded the new warship as a liturgy for the city.”
In context“Historians note that the liturgy system allowed the Athenian state to fund festivals and naval expeditions without a direct income tax.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is strictly historical and refers to civic duty rather than religious ritual.
Synonymspublic serviceduty
From Middle French liturgie, from Latin liturgia, from Ancient Greek λειτουργία (leitourgía), from λειτ- (leit-), from λαός (laós, “people”) + -ουργός (-ourgós), from ἔργον (érgon, “work”) (the public work of the people done on behalf of the people).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.