lent

¹

[ lent ]

verb

1. simple past tense and past participle of lend.

Lent

²

[ lent ]

noun

1. (in the Christian religion) an annual season of fasting and penitence in preparation for Easter, beginning on Ash Wednesday and lasting 40 weekdays to Easter, observed by Roman Catholic, Anglican, and certain other churches.

-lent

³

1. a suffix occurring in loanwords from Latin, variant of -ulent:

   pestilent.

Lent

¹

/ lɛnt /

noun

1. Christianity the period of forty weekdays lasting from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday, observed as a time of penance and fasting commemorating Jesus' fasting in the wilderness
2. modifier falling within or associated with the season before Easter

   Lent observance

3. plural (at Cambridge University) Lent term boat races

lent

²

/ lɛnt /

verb

1. See lend
   the past tense and past participle of lend

Lent

1. In Christianity , a time of fasting and repentance in the spring, beginning on Ash Wednesday and ending several weeks later on Easter .

Notes

To “give something up for Lent” is to abandon a pleasurable habit as an act of devotion and self-discipline.

Other Words From

• un·lent adjective
• well-lent adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of lent¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English leynte, Old English læncte “spring, springtime, Lent,” literally, “lengthening (of daylight hours)”; cognate with Dutch lente(n), German Lenz “spring” (only English has the ecclesiastical sense); Lenten, long ¹( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of lent¹

Old English lencten, lengten spring, literally: lengthening (of hours of daylight)

Example Sentences

This year, his daughter decided to start saying grace before dinner during Lent, and he and his wife were encouraging, thinking it would be a nice thing to try out.

From Washington Post

Lent declined in a written statement to respond to specific questions about Logan’s allegation but acknowledged the “serious questions that it raises.”

From Washington Post

Lent did not respond to questions about how People of Praise handled the allegation, but said the incidents occurred before the two Christian groups merged.

From Washington Post

Like Lent, the season of Advent was a period of reflection and fasting, and items such as dairy and sugar were forbidden.

From The Daily Beast

Shortly thereafter, T.I. lent his first post-incarceration verse to a remix of “Magic.”

From The Daily Beast

In return we lent the hospitable Post our halftones, and they adorned its first city edition next morning.

From The Daily Beast

There seemed a sense that his blackness alone lent him a protean kind of wisdom, power, promise—hope, we might recall.

From The Daily Beast

Oleksiy Kosarev, leader of a local anti-corruption organization, lent some credence to this conception.

From The Daily Beast

Anselme, thus enjoined, lent an unwonted alacrity to his movements, waddling grotesquely like a hastening waterfowl.

From Project Gutenberg

The action was at first a little confusing to Edna, but she soon lent herself readily to the Creole's gentle caress.

From Project Gutenberg

This stubborn resistance lent all the more lustre to the piety of our benignant Rulers.

From Project Gutenberg

This misfortune gave another opportunity to his detractors, and again the Emperor lent his authority to their false accusations.

From Project Gutenberg

He surveyed his man more closely; but the inspection lent no colour to his suspicions.

From Project Gutenberg

More About Lent

What is Lent?

Lent is the season of fasting and penitence that precedes Easter in some branches of Christianity.

It is commonly observed by abstaining from certain things.

When is Lent?

The first day of Lent is Ash Wednesday, and the last day is Holy Saturday (the day before Easter). Since Easter Sunday moves every year, the start of Lent can fall between February 4 and March 10. The end of Lent can fall between March 21 and April 24. Lent is often considered a period of 40 days, but it actually consists of 40 weekdays and 46 days total.

In 2024, Lent will begin on February 14 and end on March 28. In 2025, Lent will begin on March 5 and end on April 17

More information and context on Lent

The first records of the word Lent come from before 900. It comes from the Old English word læncte, meaning “lengthening (of daylight hours)” (or, less literally, “spring” or “springtime”). Easter itself is tied to the start of springtime, as it falls on the Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox.

Christians celebrate Easter as the day of Jesus’s resurrection, and many see Lent as a time to reflect on his death and sacrifice. This often involves fasting and acts of penitence. Most Christians do not fast for the entirety of Lent, but some abstain from something, such as sweets, as an act of self-discipline (meaning they give it up during Lent).

Because Lent is a time of fasting and abstaining, the period leading up to it has become, for some, a time for indulging before the Lenten fast begins. This is especially the case for the Tuesday before Lent begins, which can be called Mardi Gras (or Fat Tuesday) or Shrove Tuesday (which is sometimes called Pancake Day due to the tradition of eating pancakes on that day).

 What are some terms that often get used in discussing Lent?

• Easter
• season
• Ash Wednesday
• Holy Saturday
• fast
• give up
• penitence
• repentance

How is Lent discussed in real life?

Lent is known among Christians as a time of fasting and abstaining. For this reason, it is sometimes preceded by a day of indulging, and this tradition has become popular in some places even among non-Christians.

I love this time of year. Leading up to the Lenten season and Easter, it’s always a time for refining. I have a breakthrough in my faith every Lent so I’m excited for this year ❤️

— Ajanaé Dawkins (@MoonsAtDusk) January 15, 2021

Have y’all thought about what y’all are giving up for lent this year? I have never successfully given up something for lent 🙃🙃 but I want to do it right this year!

— Mary, Esq. 🇯🇲 (@Marytheesq) February 4, 2021

Happy Shrove Tuesday, the day before Lent begins. Also known as Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras, and in our area as Paczki Day (Polish).

— Steven J. Kelly (@StJohnsPriest) March 4, 2014

 

Try using Lent!

True or False?

The timing of Lent depends on the date of Easter.