benediction: Meaning and Definition of

ben•e•dic•tion

Pronunciation: (ben"i-dik'shun), [key]
— n.
  1. an utterance of good wishes.
  2. the form of blessing pronounced by an officiating minister, as at the close of divine service.
  3. a ceremony by which things are set aside for sacred uses, as a church, vestments, or bells.
  4. (usually cap.) Also calleda service consisting of prayers, at least one prescribed hymn, censing of the congregation and the Host, and a blessing of the congregation by moving in the form of a cross the ciborium or monstrance containing the Host.
  5. the advantage conferred by blessing; a mercy or benefit.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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