A homily is generally described as either a sermon, its original derivation, or a sort of moral folk tale, usually traditional. In modern common usage, a statement may be denigrated as being a homily, meaning that it's a sermon in disguise. In some literary cases a homily may be a new story told in a similar style. The moral element of the homily is the primary characteristic, and is usually allegorical. In a broader sense a homily may be used as a description of any moral theme. Some homilies are considered platitudes, but have a commonly understood meaning.