evensong

E1V4E1N1S1O1N1G2

noun

A religious service, most commonly seen in the Anglican or Episcopal Church, that takes place in the early hours of the evening; originally, and sometimes still, an alternative name for vespers or a service combining vespers and compline.

Similar
vespers
OriginOld English ǣfensang →
UncommonScrabble 12
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Meanings

evensong1

nounevensong (countable and uncountable, plural evensongs)

plural evensongs

  1. countableuncountableA religious service, most commonly seen in the Anglican or Episcopal Church, that takes place in the early hours of the evening; originally, and sometimes still, an alternative name for vespers or a service combining vespers and compline.

    On Wednesday last, after taking Evensong at the church, I was leaving the vestry when a lady stepped forward and asked if she might speak to me privately.

    1923, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], “(please specify the page)”, in The Eyes of Max Carrados, London: Grant Richards, →OCLC

Evensong2

nounEvensong (countable and uncountable, plural Evensongs)

plural Evensongs

  1. countableuncountableAlternative letter-case form of evensong.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounthe sixth of the seven canonical hours of the divine office; early evening; now often made a public service on Sundays

Similar
vespers
Broader
canonical hour
Also see
evening prayervespers

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Old Englishǣfensang
  2. Englishevensong

From Old English ǣfensang, equivalent to even + song. The use of even to mean evening is now obsolete except in poetry.

More words from Old English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian вечерня
  • вечерня (večernja)religious service that takes place in the evening — see also vespers
Finnish iltahartaus, iltajumalanpalvelus (luth.)
  • iltahartausreligious service that takes place in the evening — see also vespers
  • iltajumalanpalvelus (luth.)religious service that takes place in the evening — see also vespers
  • ehtoopalvelus (orth.)religious service that takes place in the evening — see also vespers
  • vesper (cath.)religious service that takes place in the evening — see also vespers
Irish easparta
  • easpartareligious service that takes place in the evening — see also vespers
Polish nieszpory
  • nieszporyreligious service that takes place in the evening — see also vespers
Welsh gosber
  • gosberreligious service that takes place in the evening — see also vespers
Cite this entry
APA

evensong. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/evensong

MLA

“evensong.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/evensong. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “evensong,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/evensong.

Source: evensong on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.