Meanings
alternative Exultet
- ChristianityA long prayer traditionally pronounced or sung at the Easter Vigil, beginning “Rejoice!” or “Exult!” in English.
The Exsultet is the preeminent chant of cantor repertoire, both because of its difficulty and because of its importance in the liturgical year. Yet very few cantors have ever sung the Exsultet, or have seen printed music for it.
1997, Diana Kodner, Handbook for Cantors, 2nd edition, →ISBN, page 77
Origin
- Latinexsultet“let it [i.e., the angelic host] rejoice”
- EnglishExsultet
Borrowed from Latin exsultet (“let it [i.e., the angelic host] rejoice”), the first word of the prayer in the Roman Rite.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Exsultet. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Exsultet
“Exsultet.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Exsultet. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Exsultet,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Exsultet.
Source: Exsultet on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.