lecture
Americannoun
-
lectures
plural
verb (used without object)
-
lectures,
present (3rd person singular)
-
lectured,
past participle, past
-
lecturing
present participle
verb (used with object)
-
lectures,
present (3rd person singular)
-
lectured,
past participle, past
-
lecturing
present participle
noun
-
a discourse on a particular subject given or read to an audience
-
the text of such a discourse
-
a method of teaching by formal discourse
-
a lengthy reprimand or scolding
verb
-
to give or read a lecture (to an audience or class)
-
(tr) to reprimand at length
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
lecturesimple
-
lecturessimple
-
have lecturedperfect
-
has lecturedperfect
-
am lecturingprogressive
-
are lecturingprogressive
-
is lecturingprogressive
-
have been lecturingperfect progressive
-
has been lecturingperfect progressive
Past
-
lecturedsimple
-
had lecturedperfect
-
was lecturingprogressive
-
were lecturingprogressive
-
had been lecturingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of lecture
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Medieval Latin lēctūra “a reading”; see lection, -ure
Explanation
When your teacher stands up in front of you and teaches by talking about the latest chapter you've read or explaining how to do a new math problem - he is giving a lecture. A lecture is most often used to describe a method of teaching, particularly popular in college, where professors give organized talks as lessons to large groups of students. It is not quite as positive when children level the term at their parents — "Don't lecture me!" — for criticizing their clothes, their friends or their music. Lecture can also be used to describe any public talk, most often by an expert.
Vocabulary lists containing lecture
The Vocabulary of College
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"The Treasure of Lemon Brown"
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Guts
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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.
See Examples For:
His decision to call his fellow actors together and give them a lecture about behaving more seriously failed to gain him popularity.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
They all attend every lecture and must lead seminars on books they may not have previously read, and from other disciplines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
But, he says, “it’s done in a way that doesn’t feel like you’re going into the movie and you paid money to watch a lecture for an hour and 40 minutes.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026
If your kid would rather get a welding certification or a commercial driver’s license than sit in a university lecture hall, the account can still help, as long as the program qualifies.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
I’ve heard this lecture about sixty thousand times.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
Ardern is taking up a post as Professor of Practice this month, the university said, offering guest lectures, masterclasses and mentoring.
From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2026
Having been gobbled up like a meal worm, Jay dredges up flashbacks of his father’s lectures in whale anatomy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
Apocalyptic eschatology has long been an interest of Thiel’s, who has made the Antichrist a central topic of secretive lectures he’s given behind closed doors.
From Salon ● Oct. 8, 2026
He envisions lectures from prominent tech figures, mentorship from partners at the firm and Montessori-inspired learning.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Spiritual periodicals contained serialized fiction, book reviews, ads for upcoming lectures, wedding and birth announcements, all items common to hometown papers.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
We’re also lectured early on that Cole is a chess master, but his alleged intelligence never pays off.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
“Their song has a very pro-European message,” said Vuletic, who has lectured widely on the contest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 16, 2026
Badenoch was born in London but spent much of her childhood in Nigeria, as well as the United States, where her mother lectured.
From BBC ● Jan. 24, 2026
She was also officer of several technical societies and lectured on technical analysis around the world.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 17, 2025
"I played with Sam Westing—chess. Hour after hour I sat staring down at that chessboard. He lectured me, he insulted me, and he won every game."
From "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin
Like many advisers, DeLarme understands that lecturing about the risks of stock picking can fall flat.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
Both the Pentagon and the Vatican denied a report, published in the Free Press last week, that the meeting was tense, with Colby lecturing the cardinal on U.S. military power.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
If the novel stayed in that lecturing, gloomy zone, it’d be easy to lose patience with it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 20, 2026
She said she will "play it by ear" when it comes to lecturing in the coming years.
From BBC ● Jan. 2, 2026
The teacher had the students complete some Punnett squares and then began lecturing again in a straightforward, no-nonsense style.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
