Lord's Prayer

American  

[prair] / prɛər /

noun

1. the Christian prayer beginning with the words Our Father.

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Lord's Prayer British  

noun

1. Also known as: Our Father.   Paternoster.  the prayer taught by Jesus Christ to his disciples, as in Matthew 6:9–13, Luke 11:2–4

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Lord's Prayer Cultural  

1. The prayer Jesus taught his followers in the Sermon on the Mount: “Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done, in Earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Some versions of the Bible (see also Bible) add words of praise at the end: “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.”

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The same prayer, with slight variations, is still taught and recited in almost all Christian churches.

Etymology

Origin of Lord's Prayer

First recorded in 1540–50

Example Sentences

You know that there are prayer services, Christian prayer services, that open with the Lord’s Prayer.

From Slate • Mar. 10, 2026

The Gospel reading for Ash Wednesday is from the sixth chapter of Matthew—the chapter in which Jesus teaches the disciples to recite the Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

Cenat later recited the Lord’s Prayer and said he was sorry “for those who’ve been affected by this whole thing.”

From Seattle Times • Aug. 10, 2023

The Lord’s Prayer, although not so hallowed for Tuesday’s contestants, is Christianity’s most ubiquitous prayer and has been recited immeasurable times in churches, at meal times, in bedrooms and at sporting events for generations.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2023

I was a serious prayer, asking for help in this and that, and blessing about everyone I knew, but Delphine just whipped through the Lord’s Prayer and jumped into bed.

From "Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice" by Phillip Hoose