What does offertory mean?
An offertory is a collection of money or gifts presented during a religious service, especially in a Christian liturgy. It commonly refers to the part of the service when members of the congregation bring forward contributions for the church, charity, or people in need, although some liturgical traditions use the term more specifically for the offering of bread and wine before they become the Eucharist. The word also has a broader, formal sense for the money or gifts gathered for a religious or charitable purpose. In ordinary conversation, people are more likely to say offering, donation, or collection. Offertory is nevertheless useful when discussing the ceremonial structure of a service, where the presentation of gifts is a distinct stage rather than merely a general act of giving.
nounAn offertory is the collection of money or gifts presented during a religious service, especially the part of a Christian liturgy in which the congregation's offerings are brought forward. The term may also refer to the gifts or money collected for charitable or church purposes.
- The collection of money or gifts presented during a religious service.
- The gifts or contributions collected for charitable or church purposes.
"The congregation placed its contributions in the baskets during the offertory."
"The offertory included donations for the local food bank."
"During the offertory, the servers carried bread, wine, and gifts of money to the altar."
Used when referring to multiple collections or presentations of gifts for religious or charitable purposes.
"The offertories at the two services raised money for different charitable causes."
Offertory is a liturgical term for a ritualized exchange: gifts are brought forward, received, and often directed toward the church or those in need.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does offertory come from?
Offertory was borrowed from Late Latin offertōrium, meaning a place for offerings and, by extension, the offerings themselves. The Latin word is related to offerre, “to offer,” which also underlies English offer. English adopted the term through ecclesiastical Latin, and its meaning developed in connection with the presentation of gifts during religious services.
How offertory is actually used
The word is chiefly liturgical and formal. In some churches it refers specifically to the presentation of the bread and wine, while in other contexts it denotes the collection of monetary gifts. It is not usually used for a general fundraising event.
Easily confused with offertory
An offering is generally the gift or contribution itself, whereas an offertory usually refers to the act, collection, or liturgical moment in which offerings are presented.