lectern

American  

[lek-tern] / ˈlɛk tərn /

noun

• lecterns
  plural

1. a reading desk in a church on which the Bible rests and from which the lessons are read during the church service.

2. a stand with a slanted top, used to hold a book, speech, manuscript, etc., at the proper height for a reader or speaker.

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lectern British  

/ ˈlɛktən /

noun

1. a reading desk or support in a church

2. any similar desk or support

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• lecterns
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of lectern

1275–1325; earlier lectron ( e ), late Middle English lectryn < Medieval Latin lēctrīnum, derivative of lēctrum lectern, equivalent to Latin leg ( ere ) to read + -trum instrumental suffix; replacing Middle English letroun, lettorne < Middle French letrun < Medieval Latin lēctrum, as above

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Explanation

When the President of The United States gives a speech, he often stands at a wooden lectern featuring the presidential seal. A lectern is a stand on which you can place notes or papers while you lecture. Lecterns often feature a sloped top and a little lamp to make reading from a paper or notes easier. The word lectern comes from the Latin word legere which means "to read." Lecterns serve another purpose for nervous readers — they offer a good hiding place for shaking hands.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lectern lecterns

As the crowd shouts encouragement, Tonya takes to the lectern.

From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026

After 72 particularly miserable hours for his football program, Lincoln Riley took his place behind a lectern Tuesday and tried to assure that things at USC weren’t as bad as they looked.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026

Attorney Jeanine Pirro stepped to a lectern last month and evinced no doubt that her office would prove that a former Olympic canoeist, David Hearn, had vandalized the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

Unlike his predecessors, Burnham opted not to use a lectern and did not have any notes to hand as he stood in front of the famous black No 10 door to address the nation.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

Mr. Turner stepped from behind the lectern and nodded to our teachers, who stood up and began to shoo us out of the auditorium.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

Barabak: Starting out, the candidates behind their lecterns.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

The studio director cut to a wide shot revealing six empty lecterns.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

The two leaders gave opening remarks from lecterns on opposite sides of the stage.

From Reuters ● Nov. 18, 2023

The custom blue and wood-paneled lectern was bought using a state credit card in June for $19,029.25, significantly higher than prices listed online for other lecterns.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 10, 2023

We do not know anything about the primitive fittings, but, having regard to the fact that the spaces between the windows are barely two feet wide, it is probable that they were lecterns.

From The Care of Books by John Willis Clark

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Related Words

• rostrum

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