novena

N1O1V4E1N1A1

noun

A recitation of prayers and devotions for nine consecutive days, especially one to a saint to ask for their intercession.

OriginEcclesiastical Latin novēna ← Latin novēnus →
UncommonScrabble 9
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Meanings

nounnovena (plural novenas or novenae)

plural novenas · plural novenae

  1. CatholicismA recitation of prayers and devotions for nine consecutive days, especially one to a saint to ask for their intercession.
    1 more example

    The good nuns, who had been so sure of her vocation, perceived with great astonishment that Mademoiselle Rouault seemed to be slipping from them. They had indeed been so lavish to her of prayers, retreats, novenas, and sermons, they had so often preached the respect due to saints and martyrs, and given so much good advice as to the modesty of the body and the salvation of her soul, that she did as tightly reined horses; she pulled up short and the bit slipped from her teeth.

    1886, Gustave Flaubert, chapter VI, in Eleanor Marx-Aveling, transl., Madame Bovary: Provincial Manners […], London: Vizetelly & Co., […], →OCLC, part I, page 42

Origin

  1. Latinnovēnus“nine [each]”
  2. Ecclesiastical Latinnovēna
  3. Englishnovena

From Ecclesiastical Latin novēna, from Latin novēnus (“nine [each]”).

More words from Ecclesiastical Latin, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Basque bederatziurren
  • bederatziurrena recitation of prayers for nine days
Catalan novena
  • novenaa recitation of prayers for nine days
Dutch noveen, novene
  • noveena recitation of prayers for nine days
  • novenea recitation of prayers for nine days
French neuvaine
  • neuvainea recitation of prayers for nine days
German Novene
  • Novenea recitation of prayers for nine days
Indonesian novena
  • novenaa recitation of prayers for nine days
Italian novena
  • novenaa recitation of prayers for nine days
Japanese ノベナ
  • ノベナa recitation of prayers for nine days
Latin novēna
  • novēnaa recitation of prayers for nine days
Lithuanian devýndienis, novenà
  • devýndienisa recitation of prayers for nine days
  • novenàa recitation of prayers for nine days
Polish nowenna
  • nowennaa recitation of prayers for nine days
Portuguese novena
  • novenaa recitation of prayers for nine days
Spanish novena
  • novenaa recitation of prayers for nine days
Tagalog pagsisiyam, nobena
  • pagsisiyama recitation of prayers for nine days
  • nobenaa recitation of prayers for nine days
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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