anthem

n. hymn; patriotic song

n. American mutual insurance company headquartered in Indiana, provider of health insurance and healthcare management services

An anthem is a composition to an English religious text sung in the context of an Anglican service. The term has evolved to mean a song of celebration, usually acting as a symbol for a certain group of people, as in the term "national anthem". See below for other uses."anthem" is derived from the Greek αντιφωνα through the Saxon antefn, a word which originally had the same meaning as antiphony.It is now, however, generally restricted to a form of church music, particularly in the service of the Church of England, in which it is appointed by the rubrics to follow the third collect at both morning and evening prayer. It is just as usuan ordinary hymn as an anthem, which may be a more elaborate composition than the congregational hymns. Several anthems are included in the English coronation service. The words are selected from Holy Scripture or in some cases from the Liturgy, and the music is generally more elaborate and varied than that of psalm or hymn tunes. Though the anthem of the Church of England is analogous to the motet of the Roman Catholic and Lutheran Churches, both being written for a trained choir and not for the congregation, it is as a musical form essentially English in its origin and development.
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Noun
1. a song of devotion or loyalty (as to a nation or school)
(hypernym) song
(hyponym) national anthem
2. a song of praise (to God or to a saint or to a nation)
(synonym) hymn
(hypernym) religious song
(hyponym) dithyramb

n. anthem, hymn; patriotic song

(v. t.)
To celebrate with anthems.
  

(n.)
Formerly, a hymn sung in alternate parts, in present usage, a selection from the Psalms, or other parts of the Scriptures or the liturgy, set to sacred music.
  

(n.)
A song or hymn of praise.