anthem
Americannoun
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a song, as of praise, devotion, or patriotism.
the national anthem of Spain; our college anthem.
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a piece of sacred vocal music, usually with words taken from the Scriptures.
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a hymn sung alternately by different sections of a choir or congregation.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a song of loyalty or devotion, as to a nation or college
a national anthem
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a musical composition for a choir, usually set to words from the Bible, sung as part of a church service
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a religious chant sung antiphonally
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a popular rock or pop song
Other Word Forms
- anthemic adjective
Etymology
Origin of anthem
First recorded before 1000; Middle English antem, Old English antemn(e), antefne, from Late Latin antefana, antiphōna (feminine singular), from Greek antíphōna ( antiphon ); spelling with h probably by association with hymn, with pronunciation then changed to reflect spelling
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It features a modified clip of Tkachuk speaking at a news conference for last year's 4 Nations Face-Off, during which Canadians booed the US national anthem.
From BBC
After winning a competition to be an England mascot, he spent the days running up to England's meeting with Italy learning the words to the national anthem.
From BBC
“I was thinking back to my dad and remembering that when he heard that anthem he was happy,” he said.
If El Camino Real could only transport a piano to the baseball field, the December boys probably would deliver a cool national anthem.
From Los Angeles Times
There was a performance of the sixth verse of La Marseillaise, the French national anthem, as it was deemed to be more universal and less patriotic.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
