What does liturgic mean?
Liturgic is an adjective meaning connected with a liturgy, particularly the set form of words, actions, music, and sacred objects used in public religious worship. It is often used in historical, theological, and liturgical studies when an author wants to emphasize the structure or content of a worship service rather than religion in general. For example, “liturgic reform” refers to changes in the prescribed forms of worship, while “liturgic language” concerns the particular vocabulary and formulas used in a liturgy. The word is related to, but less common than, “liturgical,” which is the ordinary adjective for describing the forms and practices of worship. “Liturgic” can sound academic or ecclesiastical, so neutral terms such as “worship-related” may be more suitable in general writing. It is most closely associated with Christian traditions, though its underlying sense is not limited to Christianity.
adjectiveRelating to or constituting a liturgy, especially the prescribed form of public worship used in a church or religious tradition. The term is chiefly used in scholarly and ecclesiastical contexts.
- Of or relating to liturgy or the prescribed form of public worship.
"The committee studied the liturgic traditions of several early Christian communities."
"The manuscript preserves an unusual liturgic formula from the medieval period."
"She wrote her thesis on the relationship between liturgic language and musical chant."
Liturgic points to the highly deliberate order of worship in which words, actions, and sacred objects are meant to work together as a unified form.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does liturgic come from?
The word comes from the Greek-liturgical term “liturgia,” formed from “laos,” meaning people, and “ergon,” meaning work or service. Through Latin and French, this developed into the English word “liturgy.” “Liturgic” was formed in English with the suffix “-ic,” meaning “relating to,” and is thus closely related to “liturgical,” “liturgist,” and “liturgics.”
Related word forms
How liturgic is actually used
“Liturgic” is formal, specialized, and much less common than “liturgical.” It is especially associated with the study, history, or criticism of Christian worship, although the term can describe prescribed worship more generally.
Easily confused with liturgic
Both terms relate to liturgy, but “liturgical” is the more common general adjective, whereas “liturgic” is more specialized and often implies close connection to the form or content of a liturgy.