canticle

noun

can·​ti·​cle ˈkan-ti-kəl How to pronounce canticle (audio)
: song
specifically : one of several liturgical songs (such as the Magnificat) taken from the Bible

Examples of canticle in a Sentence

the monks offered up a canticle at dawn on Easter morning
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That’s the opening line of Slipknot’s rage-rot canticle. Spin Contributor, SPIN, 12 Feb. 2025 Her vocal elevates the song far beyond even its folk roots to something far more traditional, a canticle, a spiritual. Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019 Her vocal elevates the song far beyond even its folk roots to something far more traditional, a canticle, a spiritual. Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019 That’s the opening line of Slipknot’s rage-rot canticle. Spin Contributor, SPIN, 12 Feb. 2025 The leaders of this communal canticle were the women of Boygenius — Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus. Stephen Daw, Billboard, 3 Oct. 2023 The first was Bach’s glorious 12-part canticle, premiered in 1723 as the conclusion of the Christmas Vespers in Leipzig as a sort of meet-your-new-cantor demonstration of his powers. Washington Post, 17 Dec. 2021 For many students of Dante, Purgatory is the Divine Comedy’s central canticle poetically, philosophically, and psychologically. Judith Thurman, The New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2021 Ancestor Glade is home to a rare canticle tree, the bark of which attracts a whisper of moths to aid you in deciphering an ancient Elder Scroll. Cian Maheer, Washington Post, 4 June 2019

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin canticulum, diminutive of canticum song, from cantus, past participle of canere

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of canticle was in the 13th century

Cite this Entry

“Canticle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canticle. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

canticle

noun
can·​ti·​cle ˈkant-i-kəl How to pronounce canticle (audio)
: a song from the Bible used in church services

More from Merriam-Webster on canticle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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