an·ti·phon ( n t -f n )n. 1. A devotional composition sung responsively as part of a liturgy. 2. a. A short liturgical text chanted or sung responsively preceding or following a psalm, psalm verse, or canticle. b. Such a text formerly used as a response but now rendered independently. 3. A response; a reply: "It would be truer . . . to see [conservation] as an antiphon to the modernization of the 1950s and 1960s" (Raphael Samuel). [Late Latin antiph  na, sung responses; see anthem.] |
antiphon [ˈæntɪfən]
n
1. (Christianity / Ecclesiastical Terms) a short passage, usually from the Bible, recited or sung as a response after certain parts of a liturgical service
2. (Christianity / Ecclesiastical Terms) a psalm, hymn, etc., chanted or sung in alternate parts
3. any response or answer
[from Late Latin antiphōna sung responses, from Late Greek, plural of antiphōnon (something) responsive, from antiphōnos, from anti- + phōnē sound]
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. | antiphon - a verse or song to be chanted or sung in response church music, religious music - genre of music composed for performance as part of religious ceremonies gradual - (Roman Catholic Church) an antiphon (usually from the Book of Psalms) immediately after the epistle at Mass |
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