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Glite Dictionary
antiphon

antiphon

1 9.9
A short chant that a choir and people sing in church services
  • noun
  • /ˈæntɪfən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : antífona
  • During the prayer service, the choir led the congregation in singing the antiphon that praises the beauty of creation.

Examples

  • The antiphon recited before the Gospel reading filled the church with a sense of reverence.

  • This text, drawn from Scripture, was also an antiphon chanted during aspersion, usually of the walls and floor of the church, during the dedication ceremony.

    Academic text (2005)

  • Antiphons sung during the liturgy of dedication referenced the portal.

    Academic text (2005)

  • He could feel her trembling against his arm as Father Nivard began merely reading out the antiphon as the two of them walked down the short aisle.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Every Sunday, the community gathers to sing traditional antiphons that echo their shared faith.

Synonyms

antiphony
vsantiphon
  • Specialized
9.9

A way of singing where two groups sing back and forth, often in church

is a short responsive chant performed as a single unit

Surface Forms

antiphon singular
antiphons plural

Etymology

The word antiphon comes from Greek parts anti- meaning 'opposite' and phonē meaning 'voice' or 'sound', the same 'phon' you see in phone. It names a short song sung as a call-and-response, where one voice or group answers another, which is why an antiphon is used in church services.