noun
- a verse or song to be chanted or sung in response.
- Ecclesiastical.
- a psalm, hymn, or prayer sung in alternate parts.
- a verse or a series of verses sung as a prelude or conclusion to some part of the service.
noun
- a short passage, usually from the Bible, recited or sung as a response after certain parts of a liturgical service
- a psalm, hymn, etc, chanted or sung in alternate parts
- any response or answer
c.1500, “a versicle sung responsively,” from Middle French antiphone “hymn” or directly from Medieval Latin antiphona, from Greek antiphona, from anti- “over against” (see anti-) + phone “voice” (see fame (n.)). A re-adoption of the word which had become anthem in English and lost its original meaning.