Other forms: anthems
An anthem is the nation's song played before international matches. The national anthem, sing the anthem, stand for the anthem.
Every country has one and the arguments about them are constant — whether to stand, whether to sing, and what the later verses say, which are usually quietly dropped. In music, an anthem is also a choral piece in a church service, which is the older sense. Informally, an anthem is any song a crowd sings together: a terrace anthem. Note anthemic, which describes music built for that.
1nounanthemThe nation's song played on formal occasions.
“The players stood still while the national anthem was played.”
synonyms: national anthem
2nouncrowdA song a crowd sings together.
“That song became an anthem for roughly a decade.”
anthem is a song.
Also accepted in games: national anthem
Greek antiphona means sung in response, from anti plus phone, sound. Antiphon and anthem are the same word, one kept in church Latin and one worn down through Old English.
Proto-Indo-European
*bʰeh₂-
Ancient Greek
ἀντίφωνα
Latin
antiphōna
Old French
antiene
Old English
antefn
Middle English
anteme
English, today
anthem
Built from
From Middle English anteme, from Old English antefn, antefen and Old French antiene, anteine, anteivne, from Latin antiphōna, from Ancient Greek ἀντίφωνα, from ἀντί (“over against”) + φωνή (“voice, sound”). a doublet of antiphon.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA
Practised in Sports & Fitness