lectern
Americannoun
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a reading desk in a church on which the Bible rests and from which the lessons are read during the church service.
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a stand with a slanted top, used to hold a book, speech, manuscript, etc., at the proper height for a reader or speaker.
noun
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a reading desk or support in a church
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any similar desk or support
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
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.
Then Wisor stood at a lectern and gave remarks aimed at Horning.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed Trump’s sentiment Thursday from her lectern after a testy exchange with CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 13, 2025
Olson returned to the lectern with a new brief and a broader argument.
From Slate • Oct. 21, 2025
During a recent celebration, from a lectern behind thick bulletproof glass in Des Moines, Iowa, last Thursday, he picked a curious way to celebrate the birthday of the United States.
From Salon • Jul. 10, 2025
He stood behind a lectern, his eyes darting angrily toward the slightest noise.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
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.
