anthem

noun

an·​them ˈan(t)-thəm How to pronounce anthem (audio)
1
: a song or hymn of praise or gladness
a patriotic anthem
2
: a usually rousing popular song that typifies or is identified with a particular subculture, movement, or point of view
anthems of teenage angst
3
a
: a psalm or hymn sung antiphonally or responsively
b
: a sacred vocal composition with words usually from the Scriptures
anthemic adjective

Examples of anthem in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Co-produced with Grammy-winning pianist Ruslan Sirota, the track is an anthem of transformation, self-worth, and feminine power. Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 28 May 2025 But there was no competition bow this year for Lapid’s in-your-face musical satire about a pair of Israeli artists who sign their souls over to a Russian oligarch to craft a post-October 7 nationalist anthem in support of their state. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 28 May 2025 Oscar winners Questlove and Jamie Lee Curtis and Emmy winner Billy Porter are joining forces to executive produce I Was Born This Way about Archbishop Carl Bean, the man who performed the titular groundbreaking gay disco anthem in the 1970s. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 27 May 2025 In 2019, a year after swells of protests swept through universities in Chile, a group of women, many of them blindfolded, took over the streets of Valparaiso, a coastal city in the country, to dance and sing a song that would go on to become an anthem. Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 25 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for anthem

Word History

Etymology

Middle English antem, from Old English antefn, from Late Latin antiphona, from Late Greek antiphōna, plural of antiphōnon, from Greek, neuter of antiphōnos responsive, from anti- + phōnē sound — more at ban entry 1

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Time Traveler
The first known use of anthem was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Anthem.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anthem. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

anthem

noun
an·​them ˈan(t)-thəm How to pronounce anthem (audio)
1
: a sacred composition with words usually from the Scriptures
2
: a song of praise or gladness

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