litany

noun

lit·​a·​ny ˈli-tə-nē How to pronounce litany (audio)
ˈlit-nē
plural litanies
1
: a prayer consisting of a series of invocations and supplications by the leader with alternate responses by the congregation
the Litany of the Saints
2
a
: a resonant or repetitive chant
a litany of cheering phrasesHerman Wouk
b
: a usually lengthy recitation or enumeration
a familiar litany of complaints
c
: a sizable series or set
a litany of problems
The drug has a litany of possible side effects.

Did you know?

A Short History of Litany

How do we love the word litany? Let us count the ways. We love its original 13th century meaning, still in use today, referring to a call-and-response prayer in which a series of lines are spoken alternately by a leader and a congregation. We love how litany has developed in the intervening centuries three figurative senses, and we love each of these as well: first, a sense meaning “repetitive chant”; next, the “lengthy recitation” sense owing to the repetitious—and sometimes interminable—nature of the original litany; and finally, an even broader sense referring to any sizeable series or set. Though litanies of this third sort tend to be unpleasant, we choose today to think of the loveliness found in the idea of “a litany of sonnets by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.”

Examples of litany in a Sentence

He has a litany of grievances against his former employer. The team blamed its losses on a litany of injuries.
Recent Examples on the Web Tucked into a federal recycling bill is a litany of regulatory rollbacks and other industry-friendly provisions that federal agencies under Donald Trump could adopt without congressional approval. Lisa Song, ProPublica, 23 Oct. 2024 To the litany of starting pitching absences that left their October rotation thin and unsettled. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2024 The shakeup comes after a particularly challenging year for the company, marked by plummeting shares, sluggish growth and pressure from investors, among a litany of other woes. Erika Tulfo, CNN, 18 Oct. 2024 Nowadays, his audaciously eccentric nature, along with his extreme promiscuity, is souring into something far less palatable: a litany of horrific accusations. Raven Smith, Vogue, 16 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for litany 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'litany.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English letanie, from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French, from Late Latin litania, from Late Greek litaneia, from Greek, entreaty, from litanos supplicant

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near litany

Cite this Entry

“Litany.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/litany. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

litany

noun
lit·​a·​ny ˈlit-ᵊn-ē How to pronounce litany (audio)
ˈlit-nē
plural litanies
: a prayer consisting of a series of lines spoken alternately by a leader and the congregation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!