benediction
/ˌbɛnəˈdɪkʃən/ noun
Forms benedictions
- noun A short invocation for help, blessing and guidance from God, said on behalf of another person or persons (sometimes at the end of a church worship service). “to pronounce / give / say the benediction”
- noun In the Anglican church, the ceremony used to institute an abbot, analogous to the consecration of a bishop.
- noun A Roman Catholic rite by which bells, banners, candles, etc., are blessed with holy water and formally dedicated to God.
- noun Help, good fortune or reward from God or another supernatural source.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English benediccion, from Ecclesiastical Latin benedictio, benedictionis, from benedictus (“blessed; well spoken of”). Doublet of benison.
Webster’s 1913
- noun The act of blessing.
- noun A blessing; an expression of blessing, prayer, or kind wishes in favor of any person or thing; a solemn or affectionate invocation of happiness.
Etymology [L. benedictio: cf. F. bénédiction. See Benison.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “benediction”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details