# homily

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈhɒmɪli/ · frequency rank #45,432

## Definitions
1. A sermon, especially concerning a practical matter.
2. A moralizing lecture.
3. A platitude.

## Etymology
From Middle English omelī, omelīe, omelye, from Old French omelie and directly from Late Latin homīlia (“homily”), from Ancient Greek ὁμῑλίᾱ (homīlíā, “homily; instruction”), from ὅμῑλος (hómīlos, “crowd, throng”) + -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā, suffix forming abstract feminine nouns). ὅμῑλος is derived from ὁμός (homós, “common; same”) + ῑ̓́λη (ī́lē, “crowd”) (from εἴλω (eílō, “to aggregate”)).

## Easily confused with
- **hotly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/homily-vs-hotly)
- **hourly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/homily-vs-hourly)
- **humbly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/homily-vs-humbly)
- **homing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/homily-vs-homing)
- **holy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/holy-vs-homily)
- **holly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/holly-vs-homily)
- **homie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/homie-vs-homily)
- **homey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/homey-vs-homily)
- **homely** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/homely-vs-homily)
- **Hamill** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hamill-vs-homily)

## Common misspellings (9)
`hhomily`, `hmoily`, `hoimly`, `homilly`, `homilyy`, `homiyl`, `homliy`, `hommily`, `ohmily`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/homily