matins: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1+Religious, formal, literary, historical.
Quick answer
What does “matins” mean?
The service of morning prayer in Christian liturgy.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The service of morning prayer in Christian liturgy.
By extension, can refer metaphorically to any early morning activity or ritual.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
More common in UK usage due to the stronger historical presence of the Anglican Church and its terminology. In the US, 'morning prayer' is a more common generic term.
Connotations
In both regions, it strongly connotes traditional, formal Christian worship, often Anglican/Catholic/Orthodox. May imply ritual and antiquity.
Frequency
Very low frequency in general use. Slightly higher in UK contexts discussing church services or historical texts.
Grammar
How to Use “matins” in a Sentence
[Congregation/Clergy] + V (attend/sing/say) + matins[Bell/Clock] + V (rings/calls) + [person] + to matinsVocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in religious studies, history, literature, and musicology when discussing liturgical practice.
Everyday
Extremely rare. Only used by individuals involved in traditional Christian worship.
Technical
A technical term in liturgy and ecclesiastical history.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “matins”
- Using it as a singular noun (e.g., 'a matin').
- Using it to refer to any morning meeting (e.g., 'a business matins').
- Pronouncing it as /ˈmeɪ.tɪnz/.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a plural noun treated as singular when referring to the service (e.g., 'Matins is at 7 am').
Only in a highly metaphorical or poetic sense (e.g., 'the matins of the birds'). In standard usage, it is strictly religious.
In traditional Christian liturgy, Matins is the night office, often prayed before dawn. Lauds is the prayer at dawn. However, in common Anglican usage, 'Matins' has come to mean the public morning prayer service, which may incorporate elements of both.
It is not typically capitalised unless it is part of a proper title for a specific service (e.g., 'Choral Matins on Sunday').
The service of morning prayer in Christian liturgy.
Matins is usually religious, formal, literary, historical. in register.
Matins: in British English it is pronounced /ˈmæt.ɪnz/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈmæt̬.ɪnz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'MAT' as a prayer mat you kneel on at dawn, and 'INS' as inside the church: you're INSide at dawn on your MAT for prayer.
Conceptual Metaphor
MORNING IS A SACRED TIME; DAWN IS A CALL TO ORDER.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'matins' most appropriately used?