exhortation
Americannoun
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the act or process of exhorting.
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an utterance, discourse, or address conveying urgent advice or recommendations.
noun
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the act or process of exhorting
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a speech or written passage intended to persuade, inspire, or encourage
Related Words
See advice.
Other Word Forms
- nonexhortation noun
Etymology
Origin of exhortation
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English exhortacioun, from Latin exhortātiōn- (stem of exhortātiō ) “a pleading, urging.” See exhortative, -ion
Explanation
When you were little, heading out the door on a freezing cold day, your mom probably made an exhortation to put on your hat and zip your coat up all the way. An exhortation is a loud or enthusiastic urging. Use an exhortation any time you really want to encourage someone to do something. It's a way of communicating that's persuasive and powerful — an exhortation might come from a government in the form of a speech encouraging people to get flu shots, or it might be a teacher urging his students to sit quietly. Whether it comes in the form of a warning or encouragement, an exhortation strongly advises people to take some particular action.
Vocabulary lists containing exhortation
Frankenstein
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The Merchant of Venice
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Franklin D. Roosevelt's First Inaugural Address (March 4, 1933), List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The musicians' exhortation -- made on June 28 at the open-air festival held in southwest England -- led to the BBC saying it would no longer live-broadcast musical performances deemed "high risk".
From Barron's • Dec. 23, 2025
The times, then and now, the book implies, call for vehement exhortation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 7, 2025
It’s an exhortation and an anthem — “Be the rain you remember falling” — the emotional peak of a song cycle about a girl named Sun Green who’s trying to save the Earth.
From Salon • Aug. 19, 2025
That said, even if some of Gilbert’s analysis feels 10 years out of date, it is nonetheless a reminder of where we come from as a culture, and a reinvigorating exhortation not to return there.
From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2025
And it was a hurricane with one unavoidable exhortation: Roll over, Beethoven .
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
