Definition

Noun: A book containing a collection of hymns, typically used for congregational singing in a religious service.

Usage

A hymnal is a physical or digital book compiled for use in worship. It is a standard reference containing the lyrics and often the musical notation for hymns. * The choir director asked the congregation to open their hymnals to page 42. * The church purchased new hymnals for all the pews. * She found great comfort in the old hymnal that belonged to her grandmother.

Advanced Usage

• Digital hymnal: Refers to a hymnal in an electronic format, such as an app or website, used on tablets or projection screens in modern worship settings.
  • Many churches now use a digital hymnal to display lyrics on screens.
• The term can be used attributively (like an adjective) to describe something related to such a book.
  • The hymnal selection for the service was very traditional.

Variants and Related Words

• Hymnbook (noun): A direct synonym for hymnal.
• Psalter (noun): A book containing the Biblical Psalms, often set to music; a type of hymnal specifically for psalms.
• Hymnody (noun): The singing or composition of hymns; also refers to the body of hymns used by a particular church or in a particular hymnal.

Synonyms

• Hymnbook
• Songbook (general, not exclusively religious)
• Choirbook (often contains more complex musical arrangements)

Different Meanings

The word hymnal functions almost exclusively as a noun referring to the book itself. Its rare use as an adjective (meaning "of or relating to hymns") is largely archaic and not in common modern usage. The primary meaning is the noun form defined above.

Noun

1. a songbook containing a collection of hymns